Milkweed for Monarchs Project 

Restoration of monarch habitat has become a primary focus at Winterhaven Wildflowers & Native Plant Preserve. The Milkweed for Monarch Project, started in 2008, established Winterhaven as a repository and redistribution center for milkweed seeds.

Each fall, we publicized a call-out to the community to gather milkweed pods before they burst and asked people to either plant the seeds themselves in a safe milkweed "grow zone" or send them to Winterhaven for redistribution in our free milkweed seed program.

The public response was amazing, with an estimated 6,000 pods collected. Thousands of those seeds have been sown at Winterhaven. The rest have been and are still being given away to anyone who wants them and has a place to plant them.

For free milkweed seeds, send an e-mail to milkweedformonarchs@gmail.com.

Monarch Larva Monitoring Project 

Laura Hohman helps gather monarch larva in the field during a Monarch Larva Monitoring Project training held at Winterhaven in 2010.

 In 2009, Winterhaven started participating in the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, a research project based at the University of Minnesota. In the summer of 2010 we held our first volunteer training, teaching others how to gather data about the health of monarch populations in the US. Another workshop will be held in the summer of 2011. If you're interested in attending a workshop, send an e-mail to milkweedformonarchs@gmail.com.

Monarch Tagging and Release

(coming soon)

Monarchs at Winterhaven

 Raising monarchs indoors to protect them from parasites and predators, dozens of chrysalises mature.

2008

The second monarch butterfly to be spotted at Winterhaven this season flew near the house Tuesday, May 27. Upon closer inspection of milkweed along the swale north of the drive, tiny monarch eggs are appearing under the leaves. So the monarchs are here and busy. 

Tiny white speck in third upper segment is egg 

The only nectar plants blooming on the farm right now are Philadelphia fleabane, a little ragwort and lots of wild mustard (not to be confused with garlic mustard). While none of the delicacies are blooming yet, apparently what's there is enough to keep the monarchs nourished.