Linda B. Auld, The BugLady nolabuglady@gmail.com
Project: MONARCH PHASE ONE: Accomplishments: Project: MONARCH all began this spring when I became Louisiana s first Scarlet Milkweed Seed distributor by purchasing one pound of seed. Developed a seed pack label and four sizes of packaging. Have sold seeds at various garden shows in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Won first place plaque for my Monarch display and second place ribbon for Educational excellence at the City Park Spring Garden Show. Ten local garden centers located in Belle Chasse, Covington, Folsom, Gretna, Marrero, Metairie, and New Orleans are selling the Passalong Seed Packs. Have also donated seed packs to volunteers at the City Park Botanical Garden, The New Orleans Herb Society, The Baton Rouge Herb Society, Longue Vue Gardens, board members of the Gloster Arboretum, the Piney Woods Audubon Society, plus Park & Parkway Partners. As of July 31 st have distributed over 70,000 seeds!
20 BUTTERFLY GARDENS For the first 20 people who respond to this invitation focusing on schools, community gardens and retirement communities Each location will be different circumstances and will be evaluated individually.
For those locations with an existing garden: I will visit to see the existing plant selection with the intention of enhancing the plant diversity to broaden the invitation for more species of local butterflies.
Monarch Butterflies bring life to the garden!
Teachers Frequently asked questions: Will this cost me anything? No! What will I have to do? 1) Initially meet with me to evaluate garden location, size and plant selection. 2) A Louisiana Master Gardener and Louisiana Master Naturalist will adopt your garden and will follow through on helping with the planting and teaching of gardening techniques. 3) You must set up and oversee a garden watering schedule.
Some TEACHERS will ask: What will I gain from this project participation? You can broaden your teaching skills Feel good about teaching something new and exciting You can enrich children s lives to a new level Butterfly gardening is a very effective teaching method by stimulating both objective and cognitive skills. You can fulfill learning objectives and benchmark cross curriculum achievements.
Learn gardening techniques taught by the Master Gardeners Learn responsibility of caring for plants Learn responsibility of caring for butterfly caterpillars Learn respect for nature Gain self confidence Can amaze friends and family with all of this new knowledge
Attention : Louisiana MASTER GARDENERS And MASTER NATURALISTS! Project: MONARCH is looking for 20 VOLUNTEERS to ADOPT- A- GARDEN Mission statement: To achieve my goal of connecting master gardeners and master naturalists who have the gardening knowledge and want to share it with folks who are interested in helping Monarch Butterflies and about learning butterfly gardening.
Please accept this challenge! Monarch Butterflies are counting on us to help them. Here is what you will have to do 1) Choose a garden from the list 2) Meet with the teacher/principal/contact person 3) Oversee the initial garden installation 4) Teach some gardening skills and techniques to teachers and students 5) Teach about butterfly life cycle 6) Take before and after pictures to document progress 7) Sneak in the knowledge and MAKE IT FUN!
Project Funding Ideas: After all the initial garden surveys are completed, a more accurate supplies list can be compiled. We will then ask students families and friends plus local businesses to sponsor our project by donating the supplies that will be listed on each location s webpage. Proposed List of Needed Gardening Supplies : 4 pots for students to grow plants Large empty tree pots for above-ground gardens Plastic plant flats Watering cans and watering hoses Garden gloves Plant identification tags Several pallets of bagged potting soil Insect identification books and posters Critter keepers to raise Monarch caterpillars
Project: MONARCH - Phase THREE Tag FOUR HUNDRED MONARCH BUTTERFLIES
My plan is to tag four hundred Monarchs butterflies using information tags purchased from the MONARCH WATCH tagging program, a very important study of the Monarch butterfly migration habits.
The children and teachers can carefully collect the Monarch eggs and caterpillars from the milkweed plants then bring them into the classroom to observe the whole life cycle. We will tag then release the butterflies after the pupae hatch as adults.
Then the children can also study about the Monarch Butterfly migration.
Project: MONARCH - Synopsis Phase ONE: Distribute Milkweed Seeds to the people and get them to plant it then talk with friends and family about helping Monarch Butterflies. Phase TWO: Specifically selected butterfly gardening plants will be provided for 20 butterfly gardens at schools and community gardens to be installed with the help of Louisiana Master Gardeners and Louisiana Master Naturalists. Will seek project donations from local businesses plus the students parents, friends and family members who want to get involved. Phase THREE: Tag 400 Monarch butterflies to help the Monarch Watch program by tagging the Monarch butterflies raised by the students and teachers.
Monarch Watch Monarch Joint Venture Journey North Louisiana Native Plant Society North American Butterfly Association Southern Lepidopterists Society Butterfly Enthusiast Butterfly Lady Monarch Butterfly Crusader Shady Oak Butterfly Farm The Love of Butterflies and Moths The National Audubon Society We Love Butterflies
Project: MONARCH - Proposed Time Table July 2 - Aug. 28: Twenty locations sign up for program. I personally visit to evaluate garden size and location plus create a "Plan and Needed Supplies List". Aug. 1-31: Sign up La. Master Gardener and La. Master Naturalist volunteer team for each location. Aug. 20: Begin the "Butterfly Wednesday" website weekly posts, officially announcing the school's participation in Project: MONARCH. Aug. 25: Have an area designated and ready to receive "Needed supplies" donations. Aug. 27: Website post the "Needed supplies list" so that interested families and friends can start bringing donations to the school. Sat. Sept. 6: "Pair Up Party" where participating teachers, LMG and LMN team meet, discuss the entire program and receive training supplies. Sept. 8: Teachers begin the 12-week lesson plan study with students. Sept. 6-15: Decide a garden preparation day then post on website, encouraging students to help. Sept. 15-20: Prepare the bed for planting then contact me to bring plants. Before Sept. 30: Plant gardens.
Oct. 1-7: Students begin raising Monarch caterpillars. Sometime in October Monarch Butterfly migration will begin. Contact me when the butterflies the students raise are ready for release, so that I can "TAG" each one for the MONARCH WATCH Tagging Program. The students will then study about the Monarch butterfly migration and the tagging program. NOTE: I am requesting each LMG and LMN volunteer to help with the initial bed preparation and planting. Also plan to have four 1-hour sessions with the students-- that is only once a month for four months--to walk through the garden with the students, to check on the garden's progress, to talk with the students about their garden experiences, and to help answer their gardening or insect questions. The schedule is flexible. La. Master Gardeners will teach sprouting seeds and simple planting information. La. Master Naturalists will teach how to raise Monarch caterpillars and about insect activity.
THANKS Mark Ellermann Jefferson Feed Neighborhood Pet Harold s Plants Freret Garden Center Charvet s Garden Rose Garden Lapalco Rose Garden Center Southern Gateway Marsolan Feed Spencer s Feed New Orleans Herb Society Baton Rouge Herb Society Longue Vue Gardens Park and Parkways Department City Park Botanical Garden Marty Floyd Diane Lafferty Jeanell Strickland Mary McCormick Steven Barney Mary Kapsos Mary Biundo Susan Tinney Audrey Driscoll Amy Graham
Big THANKS to all our sponsors and helpers! Dorothea Munchow Dixie Landscaping Fronderosa Mary Kapsos Kirk Dietrich Univar Photographer: Noah Simon Seed Packaging: Angela Hinton Shannon Hinton Shane Dixon Robin Toca Project Promotion: Dan Gill Channel 4 News Craig Kraemer- Podcast Jeanell Strickland Mary Kapsos Colleen Wood Grant Writing assistance: Jeff Dixon Audrey Driscoll Amy Graham Graphs: Kirk Dietrich