Workshop1: Denise Gibbs: Monarch Waystations: Milkweeds and other Native Plants for Monarch Butterflies
Attract and help imperiled monarch butterflies by providing them with native nectar-rich plants during their spring/fall migrations and milkweed for their caterpillars during the summer breeding season. In other words, learn how to create a Monarch Waystation! We’ll begin with a Powerpoint presentation to reveal the monarch’s unique life cycle and recent discoveries about monarch migration through Arizona. Also included will be the best native nectar and host plants for luring monarchs to your yard or patio. Participants will be instructed in milkweed propagation techniques and will get some hands-on experience starting milkweed from seed. There will a $1.00 materials fee (for soil), payable to the instructor. Deep plug seedlings of two Arizona native milkweed species will be for sale for $2.50 each if you’d like to jump-start your garden. Bring a small box or tray to transport items home. Workshop is limited to 25 participants.
Denise Gibbs is a Monarch Conservation Specialist for Monarch Watch (monarchwatch.org) and a volunteer for the Southwest Monarch Study (swmonarchs.org). She is also a participant in NAU’s Arizona Milkweeds for Monarchs Project (azmilkweedsformonarchs.org). For the last 20 years, she has been the primary researcher of the Chincoteague Monarch Monitoring Project on Assateague Island, VA. As owner of a native plant nursery for 25 years, she propagated native milkweeds, created numerous butterfly gardens and Monarch Waystations on both private and public lands, and contributed to books about gardening for pollinators. MonarchTagger@gmail.com