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The Monarch Miracle…continued
When the first part of this blog was posted our caterpillar was still inside its chrysalis; and it stayed inside for about 14 days. I was starting to wonder if something went wrong – usually the chrysalis becomes translucent but the one hanging outside our door was still very green. Was the butterfly ever going to emerge? Like a doting parent, I checked on it several times a day hoping that I would catch the moment when it began to crawl out of the chrysalis. As luck would have it, I came i...
The Monarch Miracle
When you see a Monarch butterfly flitting past, have you ever paused to think about that insect's remarkable life? Not many insects have as interesting a journey as the Monarch butterfly. This summer we had the opportunity to witness the beginning of this insect's amazing life. I'd like to share it with you.
This story really began early in the summer when a lone milkweed plant began growing outside the Stackhouse Education Center. Having studied Monarch butterflies in the past, ...
A welcome visitor to the Square Foot Garden
Last year the Black Swallowtail butterfly was named the official State Butterfly of New Jersey. On September 14th as I tended the RRA Square Foot Garden, I was rewarded with the sighting of one of these beautiful butterflies fluttering about.
On close examination, I noticed that this butterfly was not on an excursion for nectar. In fact, it was depositing its tiny yellow eggs on the tops of the leaves of the carrot plants that we have growi...
