With net in hand and wearing monarch wings, three year old Bryson of Port Elgin was prepared as he searched for the butterflies at Perkins Park in Southampton at the Buttery Gardens of Saugeen Shores fifth annual Community Tagging Day August 16.
Hub Staff
It was a busy morning at Perkins Park in Southampton on August 16 as approximately 50 residents and visitors gathered to take part in the Buttery Gardens of Saugeen Shores (BGOSS) fifth annual Monarch Community Tagging Day.
“What we do is show the people how to do the tagging, talk about why we do the tagging and just talk about the progress that we've made over the past five years working together as a community,” explained BGOSS volunteer Diane Baulch, adding that the idea was to help the plight of the monarchs and "help them be healthy on their 4,500 kilometre journey to Mexico.”
The tags, stickers placed on the bottom of the monarch's wings, are provided by the Monarch Tagging Program {https://www.monarchwatch.org} at the University of Kansas, explained Baulch. “What they want to do is check the migratory path of the monarch and look towards planting more milkweed along the way so there's food all along their journey.”
Each tag includes a unique tracking number which registers the tagging date and location, sex, as well as whether the butterfly is wild or has been reared. The tag also includes the Monarch Watch website address.
“Last year we had 1,000 tags and altogether, we tagged around 900 [monarchs]. This year we have 2,000 tags,” said Baulch adding that the tags neither damage the butterfly nor impact their flight.
BGOSS volunteer Chris Poole explained that last year the group acquired a special license from the Ministry of Natural Resources to start a rearing program. “We were able to set up 10 families that would rear butterflies and in total we reared about 94 butterflies,” said Poole, adding that an extra six families had been added to the licence this year.
Poole explained that the idea behind the rearing project was to try to save caterpillars and eggs from predators. “When the caterpillars are small they are preyed upon by ants, earwigs, and spiders... as they get bigger and are eating the milkweed, the stuff in the milkweed makes them poisonous and so they're pretty much safe but when they're really small they're preyed upon and preyed upon heavily.”
Once the butterflies were caught and tagged with the help of volunteers and visitors, they were released with a shout of "Adios, Amigos," as they headed out for their long journey south.
One of several monarchs that were feeding on plants at the Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores' pod at Perkins Park in Southampton August 16.
Six year old local, Brooklyn was enjoying looking at a monarch up close in one of the Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores rearing habitats.
Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores volunteer Chris Poole demonstrated how to effectively use the butterfly nets to catch a monarch.
There were plenty of children eager to catch a monarch on August 16 at the Buttery Gardens of Saugeen Shores fifth annual Community Tagging Day. From left, Olivia, Kieran, Lydia, Michaela, and Harper.
Carol Wallace of Mildmay was having success as she held up her net containing a monarch she had just caught.
Some of the Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores volunteers that were helping with the tagging day August 16 at Perkins Park in Southampton were, from left, Chris Poole, Paul Dost, Jim Kerr, Sarah Poole, Diane Baulch, Stephanie Kelly, Shelley Dittburner, and Bob Spence.
After successfully catching and tagging a monarch, seven year old Lydia prepares to release it back into Perkins Park.
Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores volunteer Sarah Poole holds a monarch that eleven year old Benjamin from Markdale had caught so that he can carefully tag it before its journey to Mexico.
The monarch tags include a unique tracking number and the Monarch Watch website.
A monarch stretches its wings as it prepares to take flight after being tagged at the Buttery Gardens of Saugeen Shores fifth annual Community Tagging Day August 16.
