From NHK Newsline JAPAN:
Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary featured in Japan-based news Public Broadcasting news network in Japan.
(English Translation from Japanese)
This is Church of the Good Shepherd located in northern Manhattan. In a school ground, located in the corner of that church, there is a small garden that is popular among children. The reason for the popularity is the monarch butterfly. Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary is gathering at the location! Here in US, they are called "Monarch Butterflies" over 5000 kilometers from their wintering ground of Mexico. It is a unique habit of these butterflies to migrate up to the north from spring thru summer, repeating generational change in 3 times, then returning to the south and getting back to the original place. Monarch butterflies are now nourishing their physical strength to prepare for a long journey back to Mexico. Meaning of monarch is a king. It is called so due to its superpower of traveling a long distance. This garden is maintained by the neighborhood volunteers so that children can interact with nature.
This is Mr. Keith De Cesare, an elementary school teacher, who made this garden 5 years ago. Mr. Keith received permission from the Good Shepherd School and planted in the corner the plants which monarch butterflies gather around. Milkweed is the most important factor, as milkweed is the only plant which these butterflies lay an egg on. Larvae hatched from an egg eat milkweed leaves and grow. In fact, the number of monarch butterflies are dramatically decreasing in NY this year. Mr. Keith checked all the milkweed plants in the neighborhood, but no eggs were found. So, Mr. Keith decided to receive larvae from the facility that is raising monarch butterflies and reproduce them here in the neighborhood. Set the larva on the native milkweed, cover them with a net, to protect them from enemies like wasps and birds. This method works very well, the larva become butterflies and emerge without any issues. Journey of monarch butterflies has started already. The season of this garden will end when the fall deepens a little further. So those butterflies will go to Mexico from now. I understand the feeling of why people want to cheer up those butterflies. By the way, the butterflies coming from Mexico travel to NY over 3 generations, but those butterflies we just saw leaving NY travel to Mexico in one generation, the super generation. Not something like they go to one certain area, they go to the specific forest. Born in NY, never been to Mexico, they fly toward a specific forest, that is further than the distance between Hokkaido and Okinawa. Not sure this is a pilgrimage or what, but monarch butterflies are full of wonder.
This week, I interviewed Mr. Keith De Cesare, who is a passionate advocate of monarch butterflies. So the number of monarch butterflies is decreasing. Is there any counterplan for that? Monarch butterflies have been designated as endangered species since last year. Mr. Keith is trying to encourage various people and groups to create that kind of garden. That is called a “waystation” made along the path butterflies travel and where milkweed is planted. There are over 45,000 such locations in the US. Since there are so many parks in NYC, Mr. Keith is also working on teaching a person in charge of the park not to remove milkweed.
Hope this project will go well. As you saw some children were in the beginning of the report. When children experience this type of activity, I believe their interest in the nature around them will be enhanced, as well.
Although any living being is a miracle, the monarch butterfly is a creature whose miracle factor is extremely easy to recognize. As Mr. Keith said, when we teach children about it and have them experience it, a respectful mind to nature will grow in them, and they want to protect nature with care. I want to increase an opportunity to feel the wonder of nature not only for our children but also for ourselves.
