Monarch Mexican Migration and land management

Paul Cherubini monarch at saber.net
Fri Nov 21 22:02:54 EST 2003


Patrick Foley wrote:

> Planting Eucalyptus is dumb in so many ways you don't want me to get
> started.
> We have been over the Eucalyptus issue before. You may remember the
> reasons I gave for _not_ planting this invasive, highly flammable
> non-native tree. If not, I'll send you some literature citations.

Eucalyptus monarch overwintering sites in California are actually
considered important sanctuaries by all monarch scientists and also the
California state park system: Check out this interpretive sign the
park personnel have displayed at the Lighthouse Field State Park,
Santa Cruz, Calif. eucalyptus / cypress monarch overwintering site:
http://www.saber.net/~monarch/lfstate2.jpg
                                                                                                                                                             
The very young, yet very tall Australian eucalyptus trees at this site
are located in a residential area and the monarchs cluster close to the
streets: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/lfstreet.jpg  primarily
in young understory cypress trees
http://www.saber.net/~monarch/lfcydist.jpg
http://www.saber.net/~monarch/lfcyclose.jpg
                                                                                                                                              
The blossoms of the eucalyptus trees also provide flower nectar:
http://www.saber.net/~monarch/lfflower.jpg
                                                                                                                                                                    
It takes only a few hundred dollars worth of eucalyptus trees and
about 15 years to create an overwintering site like this from scratch
since the eucalyptus grows so fast.   Therefore, monarch conservation
solutions need not be complicated and expensive.

Paul Cherubini

 
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