Monarch at Miner

Of all the creatures whose arrival is most eagerly anticipated, I'd guess that the Monarch Butterfly might rank highest among observers. Between weather difficulties and habitat destruction at its wintering headquarters in the mountains of Mexico to the overuse of pesticides and eradication of the milkweeds—these are sustenance for Monarch caterpillars—in this country, Danaus plexippus populations have dropped by around 90 percent over the past 20 years and biologists and naturalists alike are deeply concerned that one of the wonders of the natural world—the Monarch's amazing migration—may be on the verge of disappearing. But this afternoon, on a quick survey trip to the Miner Preserve, I spotted more of the gorgeous butterflies than I'd ever seen at once at Miner, and this bodes well. It was hard to say precisely how many, since I could have been seeing the same ones, but if I had to guess, I'd use the figure of "more than a dozen." With any luck, the Monarchs are laying eggs and this generation will become the long-distance travelers in early autumn. May the Joe Pye Weed nectar fuel reproduction and help the resulting butterflies make it to the Seaside Goldenrods along their shore route south and west.