Hurley Park holds annual Monarch butterfly release
Published 12:05 am Saturday, October 15, 2022
By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post
Hurley Park hosted the annual Monarch butterfly release again on Sunday, Oct. 9. Families gathered in the annex at Hurley Park to watch All-a-Flutter Farms release 50 monarch butterflies to migrate back to Mexico for the winter. Prior to the release, All-a-Flutter Farms provided a hands-on, educational presentation about the lifecycle and journey of the monarch butterfly.
The butterflies released at Sunday’s event are all tagged through Monarch Watch, a citizen science organization that tracks the migration of monarch butterflies. One of the butterflies released at Hurley Park in 2021 was recorded in Sierra Chincua, Mexico! That’s over a 2,000-mile journey for one little butterfly. Visitors to the Monarch Watch site can submit observations and learn more about this iconic species. The migratory monarch butterfly is listed as endangered as of this year on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, making this effort all the more important.
So how can you help the monarch? Plant milkweed. The primary cause for their decline has been loss of habitat. Adding native milkweed to your own garden will add a space of respite for monarchs on their journey. Milkweed is the only host plant for the monarchs, meaning this is the only plant that adult butterflies lay eggs on and that the caterpillars feed on. There are over 200 species of milkweed across the world, 16 of those are native to North Carolina. When choosing a species to add to your own garden, it’s most helpful to stick to the native species. The most well-known and available are: common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), and whorled milkweed (A. verticillata). Each one has different preferences on growing conditions, but there is definitely a species of milkweed for every garden.
If you are looking to raise your own monarch, order monarchs for your own special event, or visit a unique farm — reach out to All-a-Flutter Farms. They are open seasonally from mid-April to October. View more information on their website, All-a-Flutter.com. If you have questions about Hurley Park, or want to know how to book events, please give us a call at 704-638-5298. Stay up to date with what’s happening at Hurley Park by following us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. To view a map or donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark.
Sarina Dellinger is public garden manager for Salisbury Parks and Recreation.