MonarchBUTTERFLY

THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S MOST ICONIC POLLINTOR SPECIES.

Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership7350 E. 29th Ave Suite 300Denver, CO 80238(303) 468-3263www.sandcreekgreenway.org

Many butterflies have host plants they lay their eggs on.

For monarchs that plant is the Milkweed plant!

The female will only lay eggs on milkweed.

The monarch egg is as big as the tip of a pen. Usually there is only

one egg per plant.

CAN YOU FIND THE EGG ON THE MILKWEED PLANT?

Once the egg hatches, the caterpillar will live on the milkweed plant.

The monarch caterpillar will only eat the leaves of the milkweed.

The toxins in the milkweed plant make the caterpillar and butterfly poisonous.

DRAW YOUR OWN MONARCH CATERPILLAR

COLOR THECHRYSALIS

After the caterpillarfinishes feeding, it

spins a silk mat, and hangs upsidedown from a twig.

They stay as a chrysalis for 9-

14 days.

After two weeks the butterfly

emerges from the chrysalis.

Before the butterfly can fly, it must pump itswings with blood

to make them strong!

The wingspan of a full-grown monarch can

reach 5 inches.

CIRCLE THE COLORS OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY

Every fall, when the weather gets chilly, the

monarch leaves its home in Canada and the

United States

And flies more than 2,000 miles south

To warmer climates like Southern California and

Central Mexico

CAN YOU HELP THIS MONARCH MIGRATE FROM CANADA TO MEXICO?

DON'T WORRY! THE MONARCH MAKES IT WAY BACK TO CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES EVERY SUMMER WHEN IT IS WARM AGAIN!

Draw your own butterfly and make it whatever

color you'd like

Welcome back, butterflies!

The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is the perfect habitat for the monarch butterfly!

Use this guide to help you explore where milkweed and monarch might be along the greenway!

Milkweed on the Sand Creek Regional Greenway

Bluff Lake Nature Center is a wildlife classroom and a nature refuge and has special rules for visiting (no pets, no bicycles) to protect the wildlife. Their biggest milkweed patch is in and around the parking lot. You can also find milkweed along the trail by the amphitheater.

Bluff Lake Nature Center

Star K Ranch in Aurora, is a great place to visit when searching for milkweed and monarch butterflies. Trails through Star K connect to the Sand Creek Greenway and the High Line Canal. The boardwalk bridge next to the wetland pond is the best spot in Star K Ranch to look for milkweed.

Star K Ranch Smith Road Trailhead

If in the north east Denver area, the Smith Road Trailhead is the perfect place to start your search for milkweed and monarch butterflies. From the trailhead, head west and look in the vegetation along the creek side.

Commerce City Wetlands

The Commerce City Wetlands is a rare restoration success story in an industrial jungle. The small loop around the wetland offers a 360°opportunity to find milkweed and monarchs.

Remember, when looking for butterflies, stay on the trail and don't touch wildlife.

As of 2018, the monarch population is just 1% of what it was in 1980. Which means for every 160 monarch butterflies then, there is only one left today.

SAVE THE

MONARCH

BUTTERFLY

Statistics on monarch population decline from the Xerces Society as illustrated by Ink Dwell

The population numbers are down due to:

Climate

changeHabitat

loss

Lack of nectar sources

How can you help?

You can create a safe habitat for

monarchs by making and dispersing milkweed seed

balls!

All you need is:

• Non-dyed, non-toxic clay (either powdered or prepared, available at craft stores)

• Organic soil or compost• Water• Milkweed seeds

Make the Balls:• Mix 2 parts clay to 1 part soil (prepare to get

a little dirty)• Slowly add water until it looks like playdoh• Roll round balls about the size of quarter• Poke a dent in each ball with your finger and

insert 2-3 seeds• Cover the seeds and roll the ball round again• Dry for a few hours until hard

How to plant them:Milkweed seeds need a cold snap to help the

seeds grow• Toss the seed balls into your yard during late

fall or through the winter.• Or save them in a cold, dry area, like your

freezer, for a few weeks (2-3 months works best) and toss them out in early spring.

• The seeds will get water and sun from the environment.

• Sit back and watch your plants grow!

Decline in milkweed