Monarch Journey Blog

2009 Programs and Events

2009-05-27T17:30:00.001-04:00

Lingohocken Rocking Car Show - Face Painting by Monarch Journey
Wrightstown Grange Fair, PA - June 27, 2009
Come get a monarch butterfly of your very own and learn some fun facts about the monarch!

Churchville Nature Center - Churchville, PA - August 9th, 2:00 - 3:00 PM

Stony Brook-Milllstone 9th Annual Butterfly Fest, Pennington, NJ - August 15, 2009

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, PA - August 29, 2009. 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Neshaminy Manor, Warrington, PA - September 1, 2009
Neshaminy Manor, Warrington, PA - September 3, 2009

Milkweed is up !

2009-05-27T12:47:00.005-04:00

Milkweed is coming up in Bucks County! These photos are taken in my garden areas. They are common milkweed which will provide food for caterpillars after eggs are laid by the female butterfly..

FIrst Bucks County Monarch!

2009-05-27T12:17:00.003-04:00

I spotted my first monarch butterfly of the 2009 season flitting about the garden of friends off Sandy Ridge Road in Doylestown, PA. It was afternoon about 3:00pm, sunny with a bit of a breeze, the temps were in the 70's.

Flemington Jewish Community Center

2009-05-25T12:02:00.004-04:00

An environmental fair took place at the Flemington Jewish Community Center on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 hosted by the Hebrew school.

This fair was designed primarily with educating children about the concepts of stewardship, recycling, vermi-composting and much more. Activities were hands on. Bird feeders, butterflies, caterpillars and non toxic cleaners were all for the making. I talked about butterfly habitat and provided materials for coloring and making take home monarch butterflies and bookmarks.

Carversville Day 2009

2009-05-18T11:56:00.000-04:00

In the square at Carversville General Store were variety of vendors with local crafts, foods and festivities all in celebration of Carversville Day. Monarch Journey was in the Secret Garden, providing monarch butterfly coloring activities for all who visited. Some local milkweed locations were shared by residents interested in learning more and providing habitat for monarchs.

"Turn Off, Step Out, Tune In"

2009-04-11T11:45:00.001-04:00

No Child Left Inside- Bucks County Coalition - Monarch Journey participated at this Doylestown, Central Park event designed to get kids and their families outside and into nature. Despite the rainy day, families were dressed for the weather and visiting the Monarch Journey booth.

Monarch Sightings

2009-04-02T13:16:00.000-04:00

A monarch sighting in Katy, Texas.
Time: about noon, Texas time.
Warm, sunny day, thunderstorms passed in the am.

This from a friend on a visit for niece's wedding. Too fast to note sex or wing condition. I told them what to look for; wings spots, fresh or fading, tag, etc. They will keep their eyes peeled! First sighting in her nieces garden.

74.1 °F
Clear
Humidity: 23%
Dew Point: 34 °F
Wind: 11.0 mph from the West
Wind Gust: 25.5 mph
Pressure: 29.62 in (Rising)

Weather stats from wunderground.com

Waystation #1553

2009-03-25T12:13:00.003-04:00

David Korbobo proudly shows off his Monarch Watch Waystation sign. David tells me he is getting ready for spring and looking forward to 2009 monarch madness! I visited his Waystation last year in Bangor, PA and got the grand tour. I plan to schedule more visits this year to see what's new and be inspired by his hard work. Every effort to supply monarch butterflies with host and nectar plants contributes to the overall big picture of maintaining and creating habitat for our winged friends! Thanks for all your hard work David! Looking forward to seeing you again soon !

New Host and Nectar plants links.

2009-03-24T12:03:00.003-04:00

New ! I have posted links for nectar and host plants in the side bar. When you click on a list link, you will be taken to a site called Scribd. This site stores documents in PDF format for viewing on blogs. You can print these lists by clicking on the " More" tab in the tool bar after the document opens. A drop down menu will appear. Click on "Print" and you will have your list.

2008 Monarch Journey Statistics

2008-11-30T17:24:00.003-05:00

Here are the Stats for the 2008 season. If you click on the image it will enlarge to make for easier reading.

Also, here is a photo of a tagged male butterfly, # 957. He was tagged and then released on October 26, 2008. This male is fueling up before his release. He will have a good meal to help get him off to a great start on his migration. Hopefully this butterfly made it to Mexico. Maybe it will survive the winter to fly north to Texas in March or April in search of a mate. There he will die, ending his part of the cycle. If he successfully mates with a female and she lays eggs, maybe one of those eggs will survive to become a caterpillar and maybe that caterpillar will survive to continue the journey north. If you click on the photo to enlarge it and then look really carefully, you may be able to spot the scent gland on the hind wing vein, just below and to the left of the tag. That scent gland will help attract a female to him.

The Midland School

2008-09-26T16:52:00.014-04:00

Monarch Journey had the honor of presenting at The Midland School in Branchburg, NJ September 24th & 25th, 2008. Loretta was there for two days of programs showing live caterpillars and butterflies to the students. It was with delight that Loretta met with Mary Dee Atkins, Coordinator of Assembly Programs. Mary Dee had Monarch Journey set up in a beautiful naturally lit "great room" where Loretta had two caterpillar towers with chrysalis's, three or four containers with live munching caterpillars, a huge bucket of fresh milkweed and a butterfly tent complete with nectar flowers and fruit for the resident butterflies. The student and teacher response alike was awesome to the life cycle DVD, the critters, the lively question and answer periods that followed and most exciting of all, the emergence of a butterfly just before the first class arrived, and the release of the butterflies at the programs end in the student maintained garden on campus. Loretta will be sending Mary Dee and her students milkweed seeds to plant in their garden for the upcoming return of the Monarchs in 2009.

Neshaminy Manor

2008-09-10T16:46:00.005-04:00

Monarch Journey visited Neshaminy Manor in Warrington, PA twice this month bringing live caterpillars and butterflies to the residents.

In addition to viewing the Life Cycle DVD, the residents created their own monarch butterfly life cycle book and a monarch caterpillar made from pipe cleaners. A butterfly release was done in the on site garden.

Monarch Teacher Network Workshop

2008-08-21T11:21:00.001-04:00

MTN "Teaching and Learning With Monarch Butterflies" workshop is about bringing butterflies into the classroom. Loretta took her first 3 day workshop in 2006 in Hunterdon County, NJ finding a family of like minded educators and lay people who are "dedicated to the journey of discovery for teachers, students and the whole community." Adding to her knowledge about the Monarch through this workshop, Loretta continues to support MTN goals by bringing to the community through her programs the wonder of the Monarch life cycle. In August of 2008, Loretta volunteered at the Raritan Valley MTN workshop held at Raritan Valley Community College, NJ. ( That's me coloring on the right ! )

Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Butterfly Fest

2008-08-10T10:32:00.007-04:00

Wow.. what a festival !! Hundreds of children, a butterfly costume parade, face painting, a free water slide, insect safaris, a butterfly house tour and walk.
Monarch Journey was there showing Monarch butterfly caterpillars from egg to fourth instar. Chrysalids were also seen and a group of lucky observers witnessed the birth of a butterfly around 1:45 pm ! A beautiful male Monarch tumbled from its chrysalis, hung by its feet for the afternoon drying its wings !! Kids got to color butterflies and make bookmarks.

Caterpillars at the Peggy Lewis Gallery

2008-08-07T22:22:00.001-04:00

The Peggy Lewis Gallery at the Lambertville Free Public Library on Lilly Street hosted a Monarch Journey program on Wednesday evening, August 6, 2008. Children and parents gathered for an up close look at munching caterpillars, a DVD presentation of the life cycle of the monarch and had a great time making their own take home caterpillar!

Franklin Township Public Library

2008-07-23T11:39:00.001-04:00

Franklin Township Public Library in Somerset, NJ hosted a Monarch Journey program on July 22, 2008. Everyone got an up close look at caterpillars and learned first hand what "frass" is. Aliya M., Monarch Journey's assistant, was on hand to help out with the activities.

"Wings, Stings and Wiggly Things: Block Party Bug Out"

2008-07-20T10:35:00.002-04:00

Lambertville Free Public Library presented "Wings, Stings and Wiggly Things: Block Party Bug Out" on July 19, 2008 out on Lilly Street from 6:30 - 8:30. The event was designed around the library's summer reading theme, "Catch the reading Bug". There was lots to do, such as helping to make Lambertville's longest paper caterpillar chain. Monarch Journey was there showing Monarch butterfly caterpillars munching milkweed and talking about habitat for caterpillars and butterflies. Loretta had the pleasure of meeting Mel Osbourne and viewing his collection of insects ! What a treat ! The evening capped off at sundown with an outdoor on the lawn viewing of "Charlotte's Web".

Waystation #1553

2008-07-10T09:31:00.003-04:00

Monarch Journey had the pleasure of a visit at Waystation #1553 in Bangor, PA. David Korbobo gave Loretta and her friend Sharon the grand tour of his property dedicated to Monarchs. And grand it was, tall lush milkweed, swathes of nectar and host plants for Monarchs and plenty of patches of flowering plants to delight butterfly and humans as well. David kindly shared some of his seeds as well as a nifty little wooden form he made to make newspaper planting pots for milkweed starts. Thanks David and I hope to see you again soon !

Lingohocken Rocking Car Show

2008-06-30T20:34:00.004-04:00

Lingohocken Rocking Car Show
Wrightstown Grange Fair, PA - June 29, 2008 Monarch Journey attended this first time fund raiser for the Lingohocken Fire Department. There were Monarch butterflies aflutter on the arms of children and adults alike as Loretta not only talked about Monarch butterflies, but painted them on the cheeks and arms of visitors. A good time had by all, plus some money was raised for the Fire Department.

The College Of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ

2008-05-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Monarch Journey presented a teachers workshop at The Center for Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Pre-Engineering at The College of New Jersey on May 28th, 2008. This special workshop was designed to introduce teachers how they can bring the Monarch butterfly into the classroom. A two hour intensive was packed with lots of info and fun activities. Loretta showed a DVD about the life cycle of the monarch using photographs and time lapse photography done at home and in the field; homemade cages and containers to rear healthy caterpillars; how to store milkweed for the hungry caterpillars; what to do after the butterflies emerge and more. Teachers went home excited about the monarch, loaded with links to resources such as Monarch Watch, Monarch Teacher Network and Journey North as well with info on how to do activities to enrich their own classroom experience.

Haycock Elementary School's Theme Fest08

2008-05-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

Saturday May 17th, 2008 was the day for the 13th Annual Theme festival on the grounds of the Haycock Elementary School. Along with the Franklin Institute, The Mercer Museum Lenape Indian & Colonial Artifacts Traveling Trunks, Eco-Kids Ms. Susan Pierson, Monarch Journey was there with information about the Monarch butterfly life cycle and habitat; milkweed seeds; and butterfly and caterpillar craft activities. Monarch Journey's assistant, Aliya Murphy Munoz of Somerset, NJ was on hand to help out with the fun.

Great Green American Fest

2008-05-02T10:25:00.002-04:00

The 2nd Annual Great Green America Fest was held May 3 & 4, 2008 on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. This year, the Green and Growing School Day program was added to the festival on Friday, May 2, to spread the green message to the students who will someday become the caretakers of our planet. Designed to meet Pennsylvania Department of Academic Standards, the Green and Growing School Day drew an attendance of 3,400 local students. The field trip provided students with “edutainment” about their interaction with the environment through presentations and activities led by the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Zoo, as well as Monarch Journey and many other green partners.