Garden Clubs of Illinois President’s Project 2015
MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS
You have read many statistics about the catastrophic plummeting number of monarchs seen in Mexico, their migration site and all across Texas, the Midwest and Canada. Each of us, although we are only One, can help reverse monarch numbers and assure there will be monarchs in our future. And that is...Plant Milkweed! – the only plant that monarchs will lay their eggs on. Every member of the Public and every Garden Club can bring back monarchs, one milkweed plant at a time, one re-seeded back road at a time with no expense or modest expense to individual or club.
Milkweed For Monarchs is being developed as a multifaceted project involving planting native swamp milkweed, (Asclepias incarnata), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) where appropriate throughout the state.
1. Garden Clubs of Illinois will partner with the Department of Natural Resources to get flower seed including milkweed into any roadside restoration projects or construction being done around the state such as infields of ramps and interchanges. IDOT officials have announced They Will Use All Seed We Will Give Them. Find and Save Seed Now!
2. GCI is partnering with Ward Johnson’s 501c3 charity, Save Our Monarchs Foundation from Minnesota, (PO Box 390135, Minneapolis, MN 55439) which is dedicated to giving away 350,000 swamp milkweed seed packets free by 2016. Think of ways to pass out seed— you as an individual or your club: Fund raisers, Earth Day events, Arbor Day, special programs. Other organizations: Women’s clubs, church groups, Girl and Boy Scouts, 4-H—all waiting to distribute and plant milkweed seed around our beautiful state. For seed packets immediately, contact Ward@SaveOurMonarchs.org.
Plan Your Garden Project! All IL garden clubs and individuals are encouraged to collect milkweed seeds— swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, and common milkweed. Find Seed Now!
Kay MacNeil – GCI Milkweed for Monarchs Chairman
Phone: 815-469-1294
689 Golf Club Lane, Frankfort, Il 60423
Email: kaymac60423@yahoo.com
You have read many statistics about the catastrophic plummeting number of monarchs seen in Mexico, their migration site and all across Texas, the Midwest and Canada. Each of us, although we are only One, can help reverse monarch numbers and assure there will be monarchs in our future. And that is...Plant Milkweed! – the only plant that monarchs will lay their eggs on. Every member of the Public and every Garden Club can bring back monarchs, one milkweed plant at a time, one re-seeded back road at a time with no expense or modest expense to individual or club.
Milkweed For Monarchs is being developed as a multifaceted project involving planting native swamp milkweed, (Asclepias incarnata), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) where appropriate throughout the state.
1. Garden Clubs of Illinois will partner with the Department of Natural Resources to get flower seed including milkweed into any roadside restoration projects or construction being done around the state such as infields of ramps and interchanges. IDOT officials have announced They Will Use All Seed We Will Give Them. Find and Save Seed Now!
2. GCI is partnering with Ward Johnson’s 501c3 charity, Save Our Monarchs Foundation from Minnesota, (PO Box 390135, Minneapolis, MN 55439) which is dedicated to giving away 350,000 swamp milkweed seed packets free by 2016. Think of ways to pass out seed— you as an individual or your club: Fund raisers, Earth Day events, Arbor Day, special programs. Other organizations: Women’s clubs, church groups, Girl and Boy Scouts, 4-H—all waiting to distribute and plant milkweed seed around our beautiful state. For seed packets immediately, contact Ward@SaveOurMonarchs.org.
Plan Your Garden Project! All IL garden clubs and individuals are encouraged to collect milkweed seeds— swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, and common milkweed. Find Seed Now!
- Individuals will find byways in their communities and disperse seed along Osage orange hedgerows or wild areas where there will be no complaints —not near farmers’ fields.
- Individuals will collect and de-fluff the three kinds of milkweed seed. Any excess seed not needed for individual dispersal projects should be separated by variety and given to Kay MacNeil. This seed may go to IDOT projects or may go back into the GCI Milkweed For Monarchs seed dispersal project. Find and Save Seed Now!
- Anyone who does not have access to wild seed or garden grown milkweed seeds but wants to help plant milkweeds on byways or in their individual gardens may contact Kay by sending a Stamped Self Addressed Envelope and $1 and I will send you a modest package of the seed of your choice with instructions. Call me if you need advice, have ideas, or want to help.
Kay MacNeil – GCI Milkweed for Monarchs Chairman
Phone: 815-469-1294
689 Golf Club Lane, Frankfort, Il 60423
Email: kaymac60423@yahoo.com