Congratulations to the Monarch Butterfly Garden volunteers! DMGC member Gale Darling worked with the Del Mar Foundation’s Betty Wheeler, who spear-headed the campaign to bring an abandoned civic center planter to life. Gale designed, sourced and planted the native garden, with the assistance of volunteers and Public Works on boulder placement and soil delivery. Our committee volunteers Melissa Gans and Ann Feeney are busy propagating and nurturing native Ascelpias seedlings which will be transplanted in the coming weeks. Additional Milkweed will also be added.
Please visit the excellent Monarch page on the Del Mar Foundation’s website. https://www.delmarfoundation.org/monarchs/ There is much credit to be shared regarding this project. In April, 2022 then-Mayor Dwight Worden joined the California Mayor’s Pledge and brought this idea to Del Mar non-profits including the Del Mar Foundation and Lagoon Committee. The Foundation website gives more detail, but the bottom line is that our local Monarch population will benefit from this educational little patch of earth and the community will further understand the essential role we humans play in promoting Western Monarch survival during a time when the local population is deeply threatened.
The garden will become lush over the next few months, so keep an eye out for many pollinators and especially Monarch butterflies who will be attracted to the native nectar plants. Milkweed is the only source of food Monarch caterpillars can eat. Monarch caterpillars will munch away on the native milkweed planted in the garden and build their chrysalises among the other plantings. Butterflies will emerge between 8-15 days later. Wild sources of native milkweed have become harder to find, due to loss of habitat through development. Monarchs have also suffered from pesticide use and planting of non-native milkweed. A protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha or OE for short) lives on tropical milkweed leaves and damages Monarch wing development.
The Del Mar Garden Club has been delighted to participate in the creation of this wonderful garden! Hats off to our team of Monarchists!! 🐛