The Observation Deck

The WorldWise Monarch Nursery Restoration Project, WorldWise Garden Seeds and The Silver Sparrow Magazine (for people who choose to care), have teamed up to provide free asclepias (milkweed) flower seeds o help restore the monarch butterfly visiting Lakewood this year. the monarch butterfly is increasingly in danger.

When I was a kid in Lakewood there were always monarch butterflies, and plenty of milkweed for them to raise thier young. As Lakewood advanced, some of the areas became developed and natural areas of milkweed were replaced. The free magazine and seeds, courtesy of

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See the latest issue of the silver sparrow for seeds. The Silver Sparrow magazine is available now FREE with minimum purchase at select locations throughout Lakewood and surrounding areas.

see www.silversparrow.org

Thanks SS - What is your real name? Which species of milkweed seeds are being offered?

Here is some info about Monarchs and milkweed plants:

Adult Monarchs (and many other butterfly species) love nectar-rich milkweed as a food source, but there is a more important reason for the Monarch's close attachment to milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant material that Monarch caterpillars can eat. Remove Monarch caterpillars from milkweed and they will starve; or they will eat other plant material, sicken, and then die.

The scientific name for milkweed is Asclepias (pronounced as-KLEE-pea-us). Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) is well known to most northeasterners. It grows along roadsides, in fields, and in open meadows. Producing sweet smelling mauve-pink flowers late June through July, common milkweed usually matures at about 48" high. Some people assume common milkweed to be the only milkweed species which exists. Actually, over 100 species of Asclepias grow in the USA, with over 200 different species growing worldwide.

Common milkweed is not the only Asclepias species which can be utilized as a food source for the monarch caterpillar. In reality, any Asclepias serves the purpose, although some species lure more egg-laying female monarchs than others.

Among the Asclepias species highly utilized by female monarchs for egg-laying are Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed, an annual) and Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed).

I have requested that thesilversparrow email me with a real name and have had to deactivate the account until that happens.

It's obvious that this person is representing an organization and there are some organizations that we allow to post in that manner, like the Chamber of Commerce.

We also allow businesses to post using the business name in certain categories.

I'm interested in learning more about this person and project and hope that thesilversparrow will comply.

Meanwhile, I'm looking carefully at the nearest location to pick up seeds!

[quote="Ellen Malonis"]Thanks SS - What is your real name?

Michael Wise

Which species of milkweed seeds are being offered?

Asclepias syriaca are the seeds available.

I HAVE BEEN HELPING THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES SINCE SEVERE STORMS KILLED OFF NEARLY HALF OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES 2001. I FOUNDED THE WORLDWISE MONARCH NURSERY RESTORATION PROJECT, A PROJECT OF WORLDWISE GARDEN SEEDS, AND HAS BEEN PROVIDING MILKWEED SEEDS TO SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, COMMUNITY GARDENS AND CONCERNED GARDENERS AROUND THE COUNTRY AT NO COST.

THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND HAS ALREADY LISTED THE MIGRATION OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AS AN ENDANGERED BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON, BUT IT MAY BE THIS SPECIES WILL DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THERE IS THE PROBLEM.

THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS EFFECTED BY RAPID ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION IN MEXICO AND A LACK OF PROPER NURSERY HOST PLANTS, MILKWEED. THE SURVIVING MONARCHS NEED ASCLEPIAS (MILKWEED) TO LAY NEW EGGS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE MONARCH POPULATIONS WERE SO DAMAGED BY SEVERE WINTER STORMS LAST YEAR, IF WEATHER IS NOT FAVORABLE THIS SUMMER, WE MAY NOT SEE THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL BUTTERFLIES SURVIVE MUCH LONGER.

THE WORLDWISE MONARCH NURSERY RESTORATION PROJECT HAS A MISSION TO HELP AID THE ENDANGERED MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MONARCH NURSERY RESTORATION PROJECT, SEE WWW.SILVERSPARROW.ORG

MICHAEL WISE

Dear Michael,

Thank you for this information and for your dedication to preserving the monarch butterfly.

I thought Observers would like to see some photos of the milkweed, so they know what they are planting! I was pleasantly surprised to find this website with photos by none other than, Michael Wise of Cleveland, Ohio. Very nice job, Michael:

http://asclepias.homestead.com/flowers6.html

Thank You Ellen

This is probably not terribly important in the broad scheme of world events but - I have two monarch butterfly caterpillars on my milkweed plant!