A biologist helped place small stickers on two bright orange Monarch butterflies Thursday at Buckley Space Force Base before they flitted off to start their fall journey south to Mexico.
The butterflies were rescued and raised in Kate Stander’s dining room, fed on milkweed from her garden as caterpillars and protected by mesh enclosures. They were two of hundreds of butterflies Stander has rescued over about 10 years largely as eggs from milkweed plants that were slated for mowing in Thornton.
Several of her butterflies have been identified again by their stickers or tags in Mexico at the end of their migration, she said. The tagging program through Monarch Watch provides data on numerous factors such as the Monarch’s migration and changes in their geographic distribution.
For Stander, who volunteers with several groups including Colorado Monarch Ambassadors, it validates her own efforts.
“That’s rewarding to at least know it’s working,” said Stander.
A Monarch butterfly makes a momentary stop at the top of a willow after being released at Buckley Space Force Base on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2024. Monarch Joint Venture, a nonprofit that supports Monarch populations, has been working with the Department of Defense at Buckley, Fort Carson and 53 other military installations to monitor the populations and restore the insects’ habitat, including milkweed plants.
Last week, the butterflies themselves played the role of ambassadors…
