WANTED: POLLINATORS and GARDENERS - Part 1

On April 17, 2026, Mrs. Margaret Ferguson was the guest speaker at the Community Garden Club of Marlin’s monthly meeting. Mrs. Margaret Ferguson is the author of seven popular fiction books and a member of ESRAG - Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group. Following is an abridged version of her Monarch Butterfly presentation, for novice gardener and lifelong gardener alike.

I read somewhere that urban sprawl swallows up more than two million acres of land in the United States every year. As towns and cities spread rapidly and wild spaces are lost, parks, gardens, and other green spaces are increasingly important to the vitality of our communities and our own well-being. In addition to providing recreation and relaxation when managed with care, parks, and other green spaces, can also serve as places where wildlife-and pollinators can thrive.

I’ve always been mesmerized by butterflies…by the mystery of their free-flying spirit…by their beauty. Their metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to the majestic, winged wonder they become.

Monarchs help produce our food. Butterflies, bees, bats, and other insects are important pollinators of crops and wild plants in North America.

…Back to natural sciences class in junior high school. As these insects land on plants to drink the nectar and gather energy, pollen from the plant sticks to their legs and bodies. This can occur unintentionally, as in the case of butterflies, or intentionally, as is the case with female bees that purposely collect pollen for their young. When the insect travels to the next plant the pollen is also transported and fertilizes the plant, helping it reproduce.

Bees and butterflies are both considered important pollinators, as they produce many flowering plants, helping the growing of fruits and vegetables. In fact, up to 80% of plant species are pollinated, mostly by insects. Some of these crops include coffee, tea, chili, berries, tomatoes, fruit and nut trees, spices, and vegetables. Additionally, fields of livestock crops such as alfalfa and clover, are pollinated by insects.

In Texas alone, according to Aggie Horticulture, honeybees are major players in agricultural production; their work contributes roughly one-third of the food supply including many fruits and vegetables. Can you think of some foods that they pollinate? Watermelons... cantaloupes... cucumbers... blueberries.... Squash... pumpkins... peppers... peaches... pecans... tomatoes... okra... pears... plums... figs... onions...

Looking at the Monarch butterfly, some might say, “What makes you so special?” Unlike most insects whose ranges are limited because of their life cycles, Monarch butterflies are the only butterflies known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults in some species, Monarchs cannot survive the cold winters of northern climates.

Using environmental cues, the Monarchs know when it’s time to travel south for the winter. They use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances, traveling thousands of miles, from August to October. And, as they travel, these magnificent creatures facilitate genetic diversity in plants over vast geographic areas-from southern Canada and the northern US to central Mexico- where they overwinter in the Oyamel fir forests. This makes them wide-ranging foragers, a rarity in the butterfly species.

Unique is their migration spans three to four generations. During their initial journey, females lay 300 to 500 eggs, attaching them individually only to milkweed plants. The larvae/caterpillar stage is 10-14 days, while feeding exclusively on the milkweed on which they hatch. During the Pupa/ Chrysalis Stage of 10-14 days, the caterpillar forms a J-shape before pupating where it transforms into a green chrysalis, hardening over the next 24 hours.

The adult/butterfly stage takes two to five weeks for the summer generations, and up to nine months for the migratory generation.

Unfortunately, due to its loss of habitat, the Monarch population over the past thirty years has decreased by over 90%. By 2015, it’s believed that the population had decreased by an estimated 970 million individuals. One report states the Western Monarch, found in California, has a 99% chance of going extinct by 2080.

Part 2 of WANTED: POLLINATORS and GARDENERS outlines what each person, family, group of friends can do for the Monarch Butterfly.