Each year at Fisher Farm, 2nd graders from Woodlawn School, led by their enthusiastic science teacher, Kathy Denham, make flags to mark important monarch habitat. Monarch butterflies must lay their eggs on milkweed plants. The caterpillar larvae eat the leaves of the milkweed, which is toxic to most other animals, and develop their own toxicity to deter predators. While there are several types of milkweed, including the lovely, bright orange butterfly weed, Fisher Farm boasts a healthy population of common milkweed. Like other wildflowers and native grasses, milkweed thrives in prairie-like fields that do not get mowed. In order to alert maintenance crews to avoid mowing these critical habitats, the students hang flags they have hand-decorated on posts around the field. Many thanks to Woodlawn School for partnering with Davidson Lands Conservancy to help save the monarchs!
This important host plant is critical to the monarch’s life cycle
These flags will help keep this field healthy and un-mowed for our pollinators!
