nice try (was Monarchs)

[Anne Kilmer]

You have explained very well the thing Hans is unable to understand (or 
chooses not to understand). 
He wants to "help" butterflies by rearing monarchs and releasing them. 
At least he is only affecting the race of monarchs, which has been so 
interfered with that it scarcely matters any more. Like the Painted 
Ladies, only a fool would try to study their population movements now. 
Unfortunately, quite a few intelligent people set up studies before the 
releases became so popular. These studies are now trash.
Hans will do what he chooses. Bob Flanders will not stop him. I'm going 
out in the back yard  and watch the bees in my sabal palmetto, which is 
in vigorous bloom.
There are no honey bees there, of course. Those are gone because someone 
with more money than sense played once too often with importing insects, 
and brought in the Varroa mite. Oh well, they weren't native anyway. :(
I have plenty of native bees and wasps; no problem with pollination 
here. But I saw it coming 10 years ago, and gardened to attract and 
preserve the natives.
I wonder how long the race of monarchs  will survive the attention of 
its friends. 
Plant your native mustards, cassias, all the little wildflowers that 
feed the other butterflies. Teach your neighbors to let "weeds" grow in 
their yards. We can still win back the butterflies, and, with them, the 
birds and beasts. And, by all means, plant your native milkweeds. 
Educating the public to accept a wild and weedy look will do more for 
butterflies than releasing a thousand monarchs. At least they're tagged. 
As for the count in Portland, surely the butterfliers have set the date 
before the Fourth? 
Count monarchs again a day after the Fourth; you'll note that the count 
has increased by a thousand. 
Back to my bees.
Happy days
Anne Kilmer
Florida