How to Celebrate Monarchs Every Day

Featuring "Mona the Monarch"!

This article is inspired by a person who celebrates the beauty of Monarchs in all aspects of her life! Carolyn, or "Mona" the Monarch is a butterfly activist, artist, educator, storyteller and so much more! Learn more about the ways she has integrated Monarchs into her life: from home furniture and clothing, garden ornaments to even her Christmas tree!

​A note from Carolyn:
"MONA" the MONARCH is 75 and has been a champion for preserving and protecting butterfly habitat eco-systems for decades...she lives in Illinois where the MONARCH is the official State Insect and where her Naperville community has become Sister Cities with Patzcuaro, MEXICO=the wintering- over grounds for Monarch Butterflies.

"MONA" is the volunteer caretaker of 5 community public pollinator gardens and has performed over the years at Earth Day festivals; garden center butterfly programs; SIERRA Club environmental forums; and in  public schools. She is an  energetic eclectic , Artist-Educator-professional storyteller- life member the Girl Scouts of the USA, as well as the WILD ONES; the CONSERVATION FOUNDATION; SIERRA CLUB; the MORTON ARBORETUM; the ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY

Her 1-acre yard is registered with the MONARCH WATCH program through the University of Kansas; the WILD ONES native preservationists; the ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY Bird & Butterfly habitat program (where it has been on 4 public benefit garden tours); the XERCES Society; the CONSERVATION at HOME certification program; the National Wildlife Federation and it received the Blazing Star Award in 2004 from the Willow brook Wildlife Center...BIRDS & BLOOMS and CHICAGOLAND GARDENING magazines featured "MONA's" creative approach to native gardening.

She is quick to tell you that when a MONARCH lands on you outside, in the Mexican culture it is believed to be the SPIRIT of a deceased ancestor coming to greet you, say you are loved, and asks you to PROTECT IT...such silent "Words of Wisdom" from the "Winged Wonders" of NATURE are somehow SACRED!!"

Monarchs at Christmas 

This Monarch Christmas tree is a beautiful tribute to the Monarchs! Have you considered decorating your tree with more butterflies?

All of the multi-cultural BUTTERFLY ornaments on the MONARCH TREE are made from wood; plastic; feathers; Origami paper; glass; hologram bookmark; crocheted threads; needle felted wool; vintage potholders; Japanese silk cording; pottery; metal; Native American beadwork; netting; etc. At the bottom of the tree is a Guatemalan Circle of People colored threads ornament all holding hands symbolic of our efforts to PROTECT THE MONARCHS.

Monarch Furniture

Pictured are two pieces of artwork that Carolyn did for the DuPage Country Forest preserve Mayslake Exhibition. The table shows the lifecycle of the Monarch caterpillar and would make a great plant and seed display. 

​""Let us dance in the SUN, wearing wildflowers in our hair"... by Susan Polis Schutz"

Lawn Ornaments and Decorations

Carolyn created a butterfly sculpture using 2 antique tractor seats.
There is a small ceramic plaque nearby the reads:

​"Just living is not enough said the butterfly, one must have sunshine-freedom-and-a little flower" -Hans Christian Anderson"

Clothing

This picture explains why Carolyn is also called "Colorful Carolyn"!

​"The hat I am wearing has numerous BUTTERFLY pins on it...the largest is an Ojibway beaded creation...when my bibbed gardening jeans begin to wear out in the thigh areas I simply design denim painted patches to cover the holes...here I am standing by Common Milkweeds in our yard."

Artwork

Carolyn made the "Monarch Muse" mixed media fiber art composition for the DuPage County Forest Preserve (Illinois) "Pollinators In Action" exhibition.

The fiber art framed piece has hand crocheted butterfly/ hand crocheted Common Milkweed seed pods and blossoms as well as bangle, button, and bead embellishments.​​

Put on a Play!

​At a Monarch Butterfly festival she dressed as a Monarch and led children through an interpretive improvisational "dance" where they all sat on the ground and assumed the quiet position of a white pearly egg. Then they hatched into larvae and began wiggling and crawling around on the ground; using their imaginations to begin spinning their chrysalis. After 3 minutes, they stood up and emerged as fully developed Monarchs flapping their wings. The parade with butterfly banners was underway around the festival grounds

".....WHAT FUN, WHAT JOY.....after all isn't that what teaching and learning Is all about?"

Creating Muddling-Puddling gardens is another project "Mona" loves to focus on with her audiences. She says NO to HARMFUL CHEMICALS and YES to Native Nectar producing plants.

We hope this blog will inspire others to think of creative ways to bring Monarchs into their lives! If you have any activities or artwork ideas, please comment below or email becki@saveourmonarchs.org.