The Problem
The monarchs need milkweed to lay their eggs on. Milkweed is the only plant the monarch caterpillars can eat. These plants have rapidly declined. So have the monarchs.
Our Plan
Monarch butterflies are declining rapidly and need our help. Monarchs need milkweed to lay their eggs on so that the caterpillars can eat. Monarch caterpillars can not eat anything else and need the toxins in the milkweed plants so that they will not be chosen as prey. The milkweed plants have rapidly declined due to the use of pesticides as well as agriculture and development. I and my group plan on planting milkweed plants for the monarchs. So far, we have located 13 different sites in 4 different counties where we can plant the milkweed. I would appreciate the grant to purchase plants of both milkweed species native to our area. I have been offered a wholesale price from the local native plant nursery if I get your grant. I have already been collecting milkweed seeds and I made an educational poster that I put up at my school, along with free seeds for anyone who wants to help the monarchs. Planting milkweed plants now, instead of just the seeds, will give them a head start, so that they are ready for the monarchs to lay their eggs on sooner. The monarchs need our help now!
Themes Addressed
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Biodiversity Loss
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Habitat Destruction
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Pollinators
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Wildlife
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The Benefit
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Animals
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Environment
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Here is how the project went:
It went very well. We successfully planted 64 milkweed plants and many seeds. We hope that they will grow successfully and help increase the monarch butterflies' population.
Through this project I/we learned:
We learned that little acts can make big differences and that helping nature is very important.
What I/we might change:
We would plant in different places, to give the milkweed plants different soil and the monarchs a bigger variety of habitat.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
I love the actual planting of the milkweed, because they are so delicate and hopeful.
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
Be very careful with the milkweed roots when planting, because they are the most important part and can break easily.