The Monarch butterfly population is declining due to decreasing habitat in Mexico and the USA. You can help the Monarch planting milkweed in yards, gardens and open areas in the Monarch migration paths. There are vacant lands where seeds of milkweeds and wild flowers can be planted, this includes roadsides and power line right-of-ways. This year the monarch started their migration north, but the climate prevented milkweed plants from maturing enough to provide leaves for female butterflies to lay eggs and to feed the newly hatched caterpillars. Starting milkweed plants inside, then replanting them outside for the migrating butterflies to use will help sustain the Monarch butterfly population. Harvesting Milkweed seeds in the fall will provide seeds to plant in the spring. Your area may have seen a decline in Monarch butterflies. Monarch eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises can be purchased online or from local butterfly farms.

1. Butterflies, Flowers and Animals

2. You Can Help Increase Butterfly Population
Increasing butterfly population is a simple
process of reclaiming butterfly habitat areas
taken over by civilization. These areas include
all-grass yards, gardens, vacant lots, road
right-of-ways and power line right-of-ways.
Once you find an area, devote it to butterflies
by planting butterfly plants. There are two
groups of plants butterflies require. These are
host plants for the caterpillar to eat and nectar
flowers for adult butterflies to drink nectar
from. For most butterflies, the host plant is
limited to just a few plants from the same
family. For the Monarch butterfly, the host
plant is milkweed. Nectar plants are most
flowering plants.

3. Butterflies, Flowers and Animals
My name is Chuck Melvin, I am 77 years old and have Parkinson’s Disease.
My wife, Marsha, and I have married for 35 years. We need your help to pay
for my increasing medical bills. Please visit our website:
www.ButterflyLifeCycle.net
My e-mail address is
ChuckMelvin@ButterflyLifeCycle.net
Please e-mail me to make suggestions or
comments on how to improve our website.

21. I walked within 3 feet of this pygmy rattlesnake; I admit that I don’t see as
well as I used to. Marsha photographed it after I went by. She believes
the head is in the middle of the picture, I believe it is at the lower right.
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22. s

23. •
Marsha’s Creation The Surprise!!
This creation was fashioned from “found” items along the Cross Seminole Trail. The
hair is an air plant, knocked to the ground after a thunderstorm. The body is a
section of dead palm tree trunk with a hole in it where a woodpecker once had a
nest. The headband is a strap that was used to stabilize a young tree until it
outgrew it. The sunglasses were found alongside the trail with both arms torn off.
The butterfly is a Gulf Fritillary that I raised from an egg. It hatched in our house,
grew up eating the passion vine leaves I grew for it, became a chrysalis, then
emerged as a beautiful Gulf Fritillary. After its wings were fully extended and
hardened, I took it outdoors to pose on my Surprise. It was very cooperative and
photogenic.
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24. •
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25. Lion with a butterfly on his nose
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26. s

27. The images used in this PowerPoint
Presentation are from Flickr.
Go to Flickr and Like, Share or
Comment on the Photographers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spettacolopuro/3906679719/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powi/480029211
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spettacolopuro/2860649600//
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismenis/8227528042/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44353614@N02/7327978658/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbransto/3568925290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/3588674652/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpratt/2721575/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jay0110/2570884761/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtadlock/5593734183/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakesmome/3221156434/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greendalen/1428508322/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.curiositiesbydickens.com/lion-with-a-butterfly-on-his-nose/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madzik/146821723/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/somebox/5686726553/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ablight/2537753006/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ablight/2537753006/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18474854@N00/2871771708/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhruvaraj/1019537175/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathewingram/88682636/