March 14, 2013 - Did you see the story in the news about the dramatic decline in Monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico? There have been declines every winter for the past 15 years, but this year was the worst: 59%. The good news? You can help to bring about the Monarch’s revival. How? By growing milkweed. Milkweed is their favorite food. I can well remember pulling apart the sticky seeds as a child; the tall plants grew in a weedy area in our neighbor’s yard. Need I mention that modern pesticides are the problem? They’ve killed the majority of milkweed in this country, and the Monarch could well wind up as collateral damage, if we don’t take action. You’ll be happy to know that helping the Monarch is easy. The job is made that much pleasanter by virtue of the fact that the milkweed flower is pretty. There are a number of varieties to choose from, all of them belonging to the Asclepias family. ...
Understanding the global-warming world: causes and ramifications.