Milkweed Madness Native Seed Giveaway & Tropical-Milkweed Exchange
– René Amy
Male Monarch Butterfly
North America’s beloved, iconic butterfly, the Monarch, is in significant danger – to such an extent that earlier this year it was listed as “endangered.” The Altadena Community Garden will be hosting an event on January 21, 2023 10:00am – 3:00pm to raise awareness of the plight of the Monarch and to take measures to save it, with the help of a number of participating organizations. The event will also be a fundraiser for the ACG.
Where: Altadena Community Garden
When: January 21, 2023 10:00am – 3:00pm
Who: Confirmed partners: Altadena Maid Products (René's wildflower company), Altadena Community Garden, LA County Beekeepers Ass'n, Amigos de los Rios, Altadena Rotary Club Event Producer: Altadena Maid Products Event Host: Altadena Community Garden Event Sponsors: Altadena Maid Products for seed giveaway, Altadena Rotary Club for exchange Why:
-
Raise awareness of (1) need for native milkweed for Monarchs, (2) dangers of tropical milkweed for Monarchs, (3) great local groups that support the environment -
Giveaway 4 native milkweed seeds to each attendee, along with information and planting instructions -
Trade-in (exclusively sponsored by the Altadena Rotary Club) of tropical milkweed plants brought in to event in exchange for a pack of Monarch Munch Native Milkweed seedbark -
Highlight participating organizations' commitment to the environment by having participating groups sign an Operation Pollination Pollinator Pledge. -
Potentially raise funds through donations at the event to help support the Garden as it transitions to a stand-alone operation.
Background: Due to habitat destruction, North America’s iconic butterfly, the Monarch is in deep, deep trouble – to such an extent that earlier this year it was listed as “endangered” by a well-recognized international conservation organization. “Tropical” milkweed ((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_curassavica )) was introduced to the US in an effort to save the Monarchs – but it has backfired as new research has shown that tropical milkweed hosts interfere with the migratory pattern of the Monarch and are thus detrimental to its survival. (https://www.iucn.org/press-release/202207/migratory-monarch-butterfly-now-endangered-iucn-red-list). Earlier this summer, tropical milkweed was “rated” as a noxious pest by the California Department of Food and Agriculture ( (https://blogs.cdfa.ca.gov/Section3162/?p=9211 (https://www.science.org/content/article/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires))) at a level that allows County-level bans of the sale. Ventura County and Marin County ( (https://www.marincounty.org/main/county-press-releases/press-releases/2022/ag-tropical-milkweed-082622 (https://cdn.ventura.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Tropical-Milkweed-Asclepias-curassavica.pdf))) have both banned its sale. Tropical milkweed spreads easily by the copious seeds each plant produces, and homeowners often find it growing in their yards, even if they did not plant it. The organization that manages the annual Western Monarch count urges folks to remove tropical milkweed and plant native milkweeds instead https://xerces.org/western-monarch-call-to-action. Rotary: Rotary International (RI) recently added Protecting the Environment as its 7th area of focus, and RI president Jennifer Jones has made the Monarch butterfly her North America environmental cause ((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kdPAUGu88 (https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/protecting-environment))). The Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group has formally adopted Operation Pollination ( (https://operationpollination.net/ (https://esrag.org/))) and fully supports its goals. Signing an Operation Pollination “Pollinator Resolution” and gathering partners through “Pollinator Pledges” is the first step towards working together to better our environment. Note that RI president Jones speaks with the head of Operation Pollination, Chris Stein, in the video
linked to. 
[Note: René Amy is an Operation Pollination “ambassador.”] – Ed.