With the crafts festival right around the corner, the time to mow fields for parking is approaching. Unfortunately, some of the parking fields are full of milkweed and monarchs. Fortunately, this is a good time to cut the fields to encourage strong regeneration next year.

In an effort to conserve butterflies before the mow, a small team went out to find and relocate monarch eggs and larvae. They transferred 37 eggs and 25 caterpillars from the Knight Trail fields to the Muskie field. Congratulations and thanks to Dennis, Emily, Brandon, Sonny, Suzanne, and Nancy.

Nancy inspects the undersides of milkweed leaves for eggs or caterpillars.

Late and early monarch instars.