Milkweed for Monarchs Teams Lombard Garden Club and Park District

Posted June 01, 2015 1:00 am

Jean Jeske

Tuesday, May 26, the Lombard Park District Board met at Sunset Knolls Recreation Center and fifteen Lombard Garden Club members attended the meeting to present the Monarch Butterfly Initiative they share with the Garden Clubs of Illinois for 2015. Monarch butterflies are in trouble and the Garden Club has proposed ways of helping them. The Monarch population has declined by 80% in the past ten years. Loss of the once common milkweed plant, the only food source for Monarchs, combined with habitat loss in their overwintering location in Mexico and recent extreme weather events have taken a toll on their populations. There are practices and methods that the Lombard Park District and Garden Club can inform the public about that will benefit these important and beautiful creatures of nature.

Karen Brittain, Chairmen of the Garden Club's Conservation Committee asked the Park District to make the local parks more Monarch friendly by planting milkweed. "As a gardener, I've noticed fewer Monarchs visiting my garden in the past couple of years, " said Brittain. "I'm deeply concerned about this and am eager to work with the Park District on finding ways to help this amazing butterfly."

Garden Club member, Lonnie Morris identified three ways milkweed can be introduced and maintained in the parks. 1. Plant butterfly weed and swamp milkweed in ornamental beds. 2. Swamp milkweed can be added to existing naturalized, unmowed areas 3. The certified Monarch waystation at Terrace View Park should be managed with regular application of recognized natural areas management techniques. "There are few problems that can be solved by planting beautiful flowers," said Morris. "This is one of them."

The Garden Club has offered to purchase milkweed plants and seed for the project. The Park District Board members were enthusiastic in their response to the presentation and indicated they will consider supporting the Milkweed for Monarchs proposal. Call 630-916-9004 for information about this project.

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