Several weeks ago when I was out on a long walk, I noticed something disturbing: a brush-cutter-wielding young woman tidying up the overgrown area around the millpond dam. Now, this would not be an entirely bad thing, since trimming the "weeds" would result in easier walking and less exposure to ticks. But when she told me that her mandate also included leveling a patch of Milkweed that I've been observing year-to-year, I had to register a protest. She protested back and told me she was under strict orders. Besides, she countered, there's plenty of milkweed, so don't worry so much. Still, she said that she'd take up the matter with the boss, and when I walked by the millpond on my return trek, she gave me a thumb's up and pointed to the saved stand of Asclepias. I thanked her, I thanked her boss, and the Monarch butterflies clearly offered a note of gratitude as well. At least one of the beleaguered beauties laid eggs on the milkweed, and the toxic leaves have provided sustenance, to say nothing of protection, for a rapidly growing and gorgeous caterpillar.