Page 14 - winter 2016 the rock

14 Friends oF red rock canyon
M onarchs, M ilkweed & M igration
$135,000 grant received to help the great Monarch migration
onarch butterflies. We all know they are
Mbeautiful. Most people don’t realize that
these delicate creatures migrate thousands of
miles every year to their wintering location in
© Tom Hilton, Flickr Creative Com mons monarchs to complete
Mexico. And most don’t know that the annual
migration can involve up to four generations of
the journey. Along the
way, the monarchs
stop to drink nectar
and lay eggs on one
specific plant – the
milkweed (Asclepias).
Desert Milkweed
Sadly, due to climate
change, increased use of
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
herbicides and habitat loss,
the North American mon- © Derek Ramsey - Wikipedia
arch population has dwin-
dled from over one billion
to fewer than 60 million in
the past 20 years. Monarch
Caterpillar
What we’re doing to help.
Friends of Red Rock Canyon was awarded a
grant of $135,000 to locate, map and collect the
seeds of the native milkweed plants. The two-
year project will include plant propagation and
establishing or augmenting milkweed “bed and
breakfasts” for the monarch butterflies on their
annual migration. The grant, one of twenty-
two awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, is part of an international effort to
protect, conserve and increase the habitat areas
the Rock - Volume 6 Issue 2
Friends oF red rock canyon 15
Return Safely (continued from page 7) Don’t rely on having cell phone service at Red
• Signaling tools like a mirror or CD,
whistle and a small flashlight Rock Canyon as the cell coverage is spotty at
• Pocketknife or multi-use tool best.
By Pat Williams • Small first-aid kit
Hike with a similarly prepared companion. Be aware of your surroundings both immedi-
for these beautiful pollinators. ate - hazards such as potential falls, danger-
Plan your hike distance according to the ous animals, or even ankle-turning rocks, and
Doyle Way- quantity of water that you are personally distant - such as changing weather.
man, past chair © Derek Ramsey - Wikipedia able to carry. When you’ve used up 1/3 of If you wish more information from Bob, at-
has been con- Monarch on Swamp Milkweed Newsletter” (www.desertusa.com) advises by the Bureau of Land Management. Training
of the Native
your water, it’s time to turn around even if
Plant Team,
tend his volunteer training sessions sponsored
your goal hasn’t been met. The “Desert USA
tracted as the
is traditionally offered in the late winter or
not to ration your water … it will only do you
project manager
early spring.
good if you drink it.
for the study
period and is
His parting advice is: “Don’t be bull-headed
Always inform someone you trust of your
actively recruiting volunteers to assist with this
and power through to your intended goal no
hike plan: Let them know your hiking route,
very important assignment. Positions include
team leaders, field volunteers, seed cleaners,
safely rather than increase your risk-level.”
Stick with your itinerary, as it is easy to
planting/propagation, data entry and outreach. its distance and when you plan to return. matter what. Turn around and return home
become disoriented in the desert where many
Training will be provided beginning in January landmarks and rock formations look similar.
and will continue, as needed, throughout the
project.
Monarchs (continued from previous page) “If the monarch goes extinct, it's no different
There are thirteen species of milkweed in After the pods are cleaned, the seeds will ecologically from the loss of the passenger pigeon.
Nevada with the spider (Asclepias asperula), either be propagated in a greenhouse or It’s just like going into a museum and pulling a rare
desert (Asclepias erosa) and showy (Asclepias saved for revegetation efforts. painting off the wall and destroying it. How many
speciose) varieties being the most common natural phenomena are we going to kill off? I think
in Clark County. The flowering period ranges The project will also map the locations of the monarch is the canary in the coal mine telling us
from April through August followed by the the milkweed plants and note the presence that things are beginning to go really wrong, when
plant develop- of any monarch butterflies, eggs or cater- you can take a widespread migration of this sort and
ing seedpods. pillars. The mapping results will be shared completely dismantle it as a result of human activ-
Volunteers will with various government and private orga- ity. Is it ethical to let these things go extinct when
GPS the locations nizations in order to improve the popula- we have the ability to prevent that from happening?
of the blooming © Derek Ramsey - Wikipedia tion of the magnificent monarch. Are people the only creatures with a right to rich and
milkweed plants natural lives on this planet?”
(and in some cases It’s the right thing to do.
installing a protec- Swamp Milkweed Seedpod Lincoln Brower, Ph.D., Research Professor of
tive barrier around Biology, Sweet Briar College
the plant – wild burros are very fond of milk-
weed) and later return to collect the seedpods. Find out more on our website: www.friendsofredrockcanyon.org/butterfly.php or email butterfly@friendsofredrockcanyon.org
(Continued on next page) to volunteer for this great project.
Winter 2016