The Dallas Arboretum has a case of Monarch Madness! Excitement is growing as Monarch Butterflies have begun visiting our beautiful gardens. In celebration of this amazing migration we are bringing you a whole month of Monarch butterfly programs and activities in the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. You’re invited to come study butterfly wings, learn about butterfly life cycles, create your own beautiful butterflies and help tag Monarchs!
Monarchs in the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden
The gardens buzz with life. Pollinators abound in our beautiful gardens, and during this special time of year we are graced with the presence of the “queen” of all butterflies: The Monarch. What is it about these winged creatures that captures our interest and captivates our imagination?
Monarchs have a mystique that has fascinated us for decades. Each autumn, droves of beautiful monarchs take flight from their summer homes in southern Canada and the northern United States. Many of them pass right through Texas on their way south! But until recently, scientists didn’t know where they were going.
Tracking the Monarchs
In the 1940s, two ingenious zoologists, Fred and Norah Urquhar, perfected a method of tracking and recording Monarchs along their migration route. This method is still used today, even here in the Arboretum! These scientists found that by carefully applying a small sticker with a unique code to a butterfly’s wing, you could then record future sightings with the assistance of citizen scientists (such as our wonderful arboretum guests). In 1975, Monarchs were finally tracked all the way to the dense forests of Mexico, where it was discovered that millions—yes, millions!—of Monarchs spend the winter before returning north for summer.
Recording and tagging monarchs is still an important part of scientific research. Your help is not only appreciated, but absolutely paramount for the conservation of this majestic butterfly.
Monarch Madness Today
Although there are many monarchs in North America, they are threatened by habitat loss. Monarch larva, caterpillars, are picky eaters, feeding exclusively on species of Milkweed. Scientists continue to need the help of citizen scientists to answer important questions and protect these beautiful pollinators and ensure the caterpillars have enough Milkweed: How many Monarchs are there? What migratory paths do they take? Where do they stop along the way?
Here in the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, you can participate in Monarch tagging each weekend in October to discover how many monarchs stop by our beautiful pollinator gardens, which of course features the Monarch favorite, milkweed! You’re sure to catch Monarch Madness this October when you flutter through our garden gates!
Weekend Public Programs Coordinator
Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden