Wednesday, July 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Tales from a
Sisters
Naturalist
by Jim Anderson
Making monarch
conservation happen
In this day and age of
wrangling in just about all
areas of U.S. Government —
especially the continual bick-
ering in Congress — what a
refreshing day a group of
monarch conservationists
had recently while visiting a
cooperative nursery in Wasco
County.
Who’d think, right behind
the historical Clarno Grange,
on the west side of the bridge
over the John Day River
you’d find a wonderful area
of river-front acreage dedi-
cated to not only monarch
butterfly habitat, but to cul-
tivating willows and cot-
tonwoods for habitat recon-
struction along the entire
stretch of the river and other
locations.
Monarch butterflies
have suffered over 90 per-
cent population loss since
the 1990s — dropping from
billions to millions. What a
lot of people may not know
is that there are monarchs
breeding right here in Sisters
Country! In fact, Central
Oregon is a critical area for
monarchs in the western fly-
way, migrating through here
in summer and fall on their
way to and from the breeding
areas in Canada, Washington,
Oregon, California, Arizona
and Nevada.
President Obama threw
his hat into the monarch res-
toration efforts by mandating
the first pot of federal money
earmarking $3.2 million for
rescuing pollinators, and
establishing monarch way-
stations along the I-35 cor-
ridor, which extends from
Mexico to Minnesota — and
follows a main route for
the annual eastern monarch
butterfly migration.
About $2 million of the
federal budget will go toward
conservation programs,
while the balance will seed
the Monarch Conservation
Fund that will be adminis-
tered by the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation,
whose role will be to solicit
donations to match the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife funding.
Lincoln Brower’s peti-
tion to list the monarch as an
endangered species — which
is under a mandatory year-
long review by the Fish and
Wildlife Service — gives the
assessment that the monarch
“is a biological system fall-
ing apart along its seams.”
Just recently, the agro-
chemical giant Monsanto
pledged $4 million to mon-
arch-saving efforts, most of
it going to the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation.
However, Brower feels it
would be far better if they’d
just stop manufacturing
“Roundup,” one of the worst
factors in the plight of the
monarch’s vanishing status.
USFW will also work
with the nonprofit National
Wildlife Federation to fur-
ther its monarch project by
making public land, facili-
ties, and staff available when
appropriate.
The Clarno nursery is
a perfect example of how
the federal government has
jumped into habitat con-
servation; it doesn’t profit
hunters, anglers, sportsmen,
ranchers or any of the so-
called “users”; it’s just plain,
good old, ecosystem restora-
tion for butterflies and fish.
Who’da thunk it!
“We’re happy to see you
here,” said Chris Jensen, head
of silviculture operations for
the USFS, to a recent group
of monarch preservationists
from Bend, under the leader-
ship of MACO.
MACO, aka Monarch
Advocates of Central
Oregon, is a citizen advo-
cacy group dedicated to
helping monarch butterflies
by planting native milk-
weed waystations and edu-
cating the community about
native pollinators. The out-
fit is comprised of natu-
ral resource professionals,
master gardeners, nonprofit
professionals, and passionate
citizens with diverse skills
and experience. In July 2015,
MACO was awarded a grant
by Awesome Bend to help
create milkweed waystations
in nine community gardens
in Bend, and to educate the
public about how to help
monarch butterflies and pol-
linators. Look for MACO on
Facebook.
“While we’re looking
over the milkweed planta-
tion please keep an eye out
for adult monarchs,” Jensen
said. “If you see any we’ll
capture, tag them and release
them back into the milkweed.
These may be adults on their
journey back north, and we’d
like to know where their next
stop is.”
In spring monarchs
appear en-route to their
northern destinations where
they spend summer. (It some-
times takes five generations
for the species to make it
from wintering to summering
haunts). It’s the spring trip
when milkweed plays a vital
role in producing butterflies
that will continue their trek
to the monarch’s final sum-
mer haunts.
Because milkweed is the
only plant on which mon-
arch larvae feed, one easy
way to help monarchs is by
adding milkweed to existing
pollinator gardens — creat-
ing “waystations” for mon-
archs to stop for food, water,
shelter, and breeding habitat
along their migration north.
Waystations that feature
our native, locally adapted
showy milkweed (Asclepias
speciosa) can also help other
pollinating species. In fact,
21
photo by JiM anderSon
Sue anderson, local butterfly expert, shows how to tag a monarch
butterfly.
showy milkweed supports
over 40 native pollinator spe-
cies; it’s easy to grow, and is
a beautiful addition to any
garden.
An adult male monarch
was captured at the nursery,
and while Sue Anderson
was placing a numbered tag
on it — issued by Dr. David
James from Washington
State University — she took
the time to show the partici-
pants the small marks on the
hind wing of the male mon-
arch that the female does not
possess.
Because of his work-
load, Jensen can only get to
the Clarno nursery once a
week, and asked the group
if they could create a sched-
ule among themselves that
would have people come
over through the week to
monitor the monarchs that
show up, and see that the
larva are protected from
voracious paper wasps.
In addition to the gov-
ernment nursery there are
several other wild milk-
weed stands downriver of
the nursery. After spending
enough time to check for
adults — one which was
found and tagged — the
group spent another few
hours exploring other areas
along the river for milkweed
and monarchs.
On that trip Jensen
explained to the group
how the Bureau of Land
Management is helping with
the finances with their black
cottonwood and willow
plantings, and how USFW
also assists in keeping the
nursery going.
The Clarno nursery and
monarch waystations are cru-
cial to saving the iconic mon-
arch butterfly because weed
eradication efforts, along
with the loss of prairies, have
destroyed milkweed plants.
(In Iowa, local milkweed has
been placed on the threat-
ened species list.)
If you and/or your friends
want to take part in this on-
going monarch restoration
project at Clarno, contact
Katya Spiecker through her
MACO Facebook account.
WELCOME Pastor Brandon
and wife of 10 years, Holly,
sons Isaiah (4), Damon (2),
and Wesley (1).
A graduate of Christ for the
Nations Institute in Dallas,
TX he is happy to be back
in his native Central Oregon.
Brandon Richardson will
lead worship and young
adults. He is a revivalist
with a passionate vision
to see people encounter
God’s presence.
A recording artist, his
new worship album
(produced by Gabriel
Wilson) debuts this fall.
SISTERS COMMUNITY CHURCH
1300 W. McKenzie Hwy., Sisters | 541-549-1201
www.SistersChurch.com
Come join us 10 AM on Sundays!