Chip Taylor’s Doppelganger greets visitors at the 2012 Monarch Watch Spring Open House and Plant Sale. Dr. Taylor is the director and founder of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas.
Hundreds of people visited the open house and plant sale at Monarch Watch on Saturday, May 12, at the University of Kansas. About 4,000 plants were for sale for butterfly gardening, including plants to nurture both caterpillars and adults. Many of the plants are native to northeast Kansas. Monarch Watch, founded by internationally renowned entomologist Dr. Orley “Chip” Taylor, is dedicated to the education about, conservation of and research about Monarch butterflies. It works closely with schools and with researchers. I’ve posted several articles and photographs on this blog about Monarch Watch. Here’s my post about the 2009 Monarch Watch Spring Open House.
Here’s an article about about a previous Fall open house. Be sure to check the Monarch Watch site for the dates of the fall open house and the butterfly tagging event, both in September. You can find more of my articles by doing a search for “Monarch Watch” or “butterflies” in my search box. Here’s the official Monarch Watch site.
Chip Taylor, founder and director of Monarch Watch, meets with visitors at the 2012 Monarch Watch Spring Open House and Plant Sale at the University of Kansas. Here, a KU faculty member on his way to commencement activities stops to buy some tropical milkweed plants.
Many of the butterfly plants for sale at the Monarch Watch open house are native to northeast Kansas.
Here are some photos of the Monarch Watch garden on the campus of the University of Kansas. The garden is a way station to provide milkweeds, nectar sources and shelter needed to sustain to Monarch butterflies as the migrate through North America. People are encouraged to create their own Monarch way stations and pollination gardens. Monarch Watch sells plants for butterfly gardens at its annual Spring open house.
A child poses for a photograph in a Monarch Butterfly at the 2012 Monarch Watch Spring Annual Open House and Plant Sale. Lots of activities were available for children to enjoy.
Children select their Monarch caterpillars, which they will take home with a milkweed they have purchased from the plant sale.
People wait in line to buy their plants at the 2012 Monarch Watch annual Spring open house and plant sale.
A boy proudly shows off his Monarch caterpillar, which he will take home with a milkweed plant to sustain it.
Awaiting its new home in my garden, a Monarch butterfly caterpillar hangs out on a tropical milkweed plant I bought at the Monarch Watch plant sale. When you buy a large tropical milkweed, you got a caterpillar, too. I’ve always had good luck attracting Monarch butterflies to tropical milkweed plants in my garden, although the plants don’t survive the winter.
Catherine Sherman 
Yes, it’s that time of the year… I remember your informative Monarch Watch posts in the past. Actually, I think it was the Monarch butterfly that drew me to your blog a few years back. The caterpillar and its transformation is just amazing. No phobia here, just fascination. 😉
On another note, I’m just wondering about the photo collage here. Do you need a special software to upload that, or did you create that with WordPress’ own features?
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Monarchs are fun to photograph. I have a few myself from an enclosed butterfly sanctuary not far from where I live. It’s a neat place. We also have something called a “butterfly bush” in our backyard but they are much harder to photograph there.
Beautiful pictures! Your eye has a way of capturing things in a very interesting and beautiful way!
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As a teacher, I can’t tell you how excited my third graders get about nature. I can think of no greater gift to give them than an appreciation for our environment which we so often take for granted. My husband and I have have several ponds in our backyard that attract wildlife. We’ve just planted flowers designed to sweeten the deal. We’re hoping to receive a 4-star review. 🙂
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I agree with the teacher – no greater gift. We have a plant called the desert milkweed here that attracts them and we try to always have some growing in our yard.
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I would like to know if anyone can tell me where I can find tropical milkweeds in the Kansas City area?
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Nice, I wish there’s also such a sale here today.
But its just during summer here like May when the flower blooms.
Thanks.
Mary
Cliquez ici to visit my website.
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Visiting an old blog friend…. our Monarch tagging event is this weekend. I thought of your site today as I watched the Monarchs sailing overhead on their journey back down south. Clear, bright blue cloudless sky, luminous sunshine, slightly cool tinge in the air… yes, it’s definately fall here, especially with all the migratory creatures coming through here.
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