Date: 06/11/2009

Number: 1

I was encouraged when on my usual visit to the nearby wild milkweed patch, I discovered many, many monarch caterpillars eating happily on what promised to be a much healthier milkweed 'crop' this year than last. I wasn't expecting any larvae because have not seen anymore Monarchs flying in the area since the first and only two spotted on Memorial Day. So I rescued twelve cats to raise in safety on my screened porch as always. I returned the next evening to gather more before something or other destroyed or ate them and was looking forward to a summer like the one I enjoyed so much in 2007..hundreds of Monarchs raised & released! I had just reached the crest of the hill, looked east to see the stand of milkweeds and ......there was not one milkweed to be seen. I hoped I was dreaming but I wasn't. My local Rod&Gun Club was having a shooting competition and wanted everything to 'look nice' so they mowed, copped up, every Monarch caterpillar, milkweed host and all of the prairie flow

eau claire, WI

Latitude: 44.7 Longitude: -91.5

Observed by: cynthia
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