Milkweed, of any variety, is the only plant that the monarch butterfly caterpillar can feed on. This means that the familiar orange-and-black butterfly's entire lifecycle depends on milkweed---and this is why Reni Winter is on a mission to get milkweed planted in as many places as possible.
Known for its epic migration between its overwintering grounds in Mexico and much of the rest of North America, the monarch is a ubiquitous and beloved butterfly throughout most of the continent. But as its habitat is destroyed and milkweed is disappearing from the environment so is the monarch becoming threatened
Reni Winter (in the picture) was promoting her message about monarch butterflies and handing out free packets of milkflower seeds during the two days of the Indiana Dunes BioBlitz, when hundreds of scientists and thousands of volunteers gathered to identify as many species as they could find in 24 hours in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
The "owner and grower and steward" of Winterhaven Wildflowers & Native Plant Preserve, an Indiana native plant nursery and preserve on 13 acres of former tallgrass prairie in central Indiana, Winter is an active member of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society.
Winterhaven is a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation backyard habitat program and also a Certified Monarch Waystation with Monarch Watch, Winter proudly says..
Watch Reni Winter on this video talk about her campaign and how you too can help monarch butterflies by growing milkweed :
Video and photo by David Braun
Additional information:
Internal Clock Leads Monarch Butterflies to Mexico (National Geographic News story)
