Monarch butterflies are visiting gardens and other open spaces. In recent years, scientists have been concerned about this species’ populations; read more about this issue and get monarch-wise with our Quick Guide. Here are five monarch portraits from past editions of our Photo Contest.
2013 Photo Contest Entry © Kris Quinn
2014 Photo Contest Entry © Ken Conway
Monarch Caterpillar, 2010 Photo Contest Entry © Harry Wales
2012 Photo Contest Entry © Will Katcher
2014 Photo Contest Entry © Kim Caruso
Do you have a beautiful shot of your own? Consider entering our 2015 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest!
I saw three in the wild in
Booth Bay, ME beginning of July.
I tagged Monarch’s as well with Ivy in the late 60’s I guess it was in Marblehead.
I met her Pointer as well. I have Milkweed in my yard and will have to chk the leaves. No. Sign of anything eating them at this point. I raised a few in a 1 gallon plastic Hood milk jug. Great experience which I would pass on to future generations if I could.
Frank, Ivy LeMon was certainly one of a kind. For a quarter century my dad was director of Mass. Audubon’s Wildwood Nature Camp at Cook’s Canyon Sanctuary in Barre. We had several generations of Flutterby houses, all modeled after Ivy’s design, and enjoyed her frequent visits to camp. Wildwood was one of the more active participants in the University of Toronto’s Monarch butterfly research and I remember banding dozens of Monarchs during that time. We have a healthy crop of milkweed in our butterfly garden, and my wife raised 10 Monarchs from caterpillars a year ago, but I’ve yet to see one this summer here in Warren.
Rosemary, The only monarchs I’ve seen this year are the 10 we raised from caterpillars we ordered through the mail and released successfully into our butterfly garden here in Warren. I have wonderful memories however of Flutterby III and later incarnations at Wildwood at Cook’s Canyon. I had the honor and privilege of banding monarchs with Ivy LeMon as Wildwood at the time was part of the University of Toronto monarch study that relied heavily on banding records from participants. For young campers, watching monarchs being banded was always a great moment when the banded butterfly easily took flight with its new ID marker. I tried a couple of photos, but our new monarchs were quick to take flight.
I have only seen a few the last few years, and mostly at Mass Audubon sanctuaries, sad to see the decline. On the other hand I have seen many. Fritillaries