The first activity following the Bartlesville City Council’s decision to support a national monarch butterfly-saving program attracted almost 100 people to the event held March 9 at the Bartlesville Public Library.

Tulsan Sandra Schwinn, who is a conservation specialist for the Monarch Watch program, told how local citizens can support the spring and fall migration by planting milkweed for the monarch caterpillar and nectar plants for the adult butterfly. She provided statistics and graphs showing reasons for the decline of the butterfly and stressed the importance of Oklahoma to the migration.

“The great response to the monarch program shows that Bartlesville citizens are willing and eager to help the plight of butterflies as is the mayor and the Bartlesville City Council,” said Kloma Laws, president of the Bartlesville Council of Garden Clubs. She said more information and activities will be forthcoming including the mayor’s proclamation.

Citizens can buy milkweed plants from local club sales and garden centers, wildlife friendly sources, online catalogs and through monarchwatch.org.

“People are asking for milkweed, so more and more nurseries are offering milkweed for sale,” said Schwinn. “Nectar plants are needed as well, so this provides a market for both types of plants — host and nectar. I believe the market for milkweed is driven by the demand, and currently, the demand is growing because of people’s awareness that the monarch migration is threatened.”

Schwinn said one of the biggest hurdles to reestablishing milkweed habitat is obtaining enough seeds to produce enough milkweed plants along the migration paths. “It takes planting milkweed plants to produce the needed seeds,” she said. “Oklahoma is in the monarch flight path for both spring and fall migration; so it is crucial that, as a state, we provide nectar and milkweed plants from border to border,” she said.

The Bartlesville City Council recently agreed to support the National Wildlife Federation’s monarch conservation program that includes the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, whereby mayors commit to restoring habitat in their communities and encourage residents to do the same. Mayors’ action items include urging local garden groups to plant native milkweeds and nectar plants, hosting a native plant sale or seed giveaway event, planting a demonstration garden at city hall or another prominent location, and supporting city science efforts to help monitor monarch butterfly migration and health.

For more information contact Laws at klomajean@aol.com or Schwinn at sandy@monarchwatch.org. Exchange information through Oklahoma Friends of Monarchs Facebook group.