Paw Paw invites monarch butterflies to sit and rest awhile

Local volunteers want to help make sure monarch butterflies do not become extinct.

So they've created a certified monarch butterfly garden on the grounds of the Van Buren County Mental Health building on Hazen Street, reports the Courier-Leader.

Master Gardener volunteer Janice Wick, of Paw Paw, who serves as project chairperson, said the Monarch Way Station evolved from a "beautiful structured flower garden, to a habitat that will help insure the survival of monarch butterflies, whose numbers have declined in recent years."

Excerpt:

Wick said way stations play a crucial role to the butterflies' survival.

"While migrating in the fall, to their winter habitat, they depend on the way stations as a source of nourishment. They can no longer count on finding nectar from wild flowers along roadsides, due to mowing."

To find out how gardeners attract monarch butterflies, read the rest of the story.

Source: Courier-Leader