This has been a busy fall for our BGOSS Community Tagging Days, volunteers tagging and our BGOSS rearing program. Chris and Sarah have sent along this Monarch Tagging Newsletter for you to read. The newsletter has lots of good information included for all of our BGOSS taggers.
We’d like to express our thanks to everyone who joined us for our 5th Community Tagging Event at Perkins Park. In total, we tagged 31 monarch butterflies and we are most grateful to all of you for making a difference.
We’re planning to host another Community Tagging Day on Friday, August 30th at Perkins Park from 10am to noon.
We hope to see you then!
Date: Friday, August 16, 2019
Time: 10:00 am – 12 noon
Location: meet at Perkins Park, Southampton
Open to people of all ages.
Nets provided by BGOSS
Collector’s Post Card #8 showcases the third milkweed plant used by BGOSS in its pod — namely, Swamp Milkweed. This beautiful milkweed is attractive, grows in all sorts of conditions (sand, clay, wet, dry), and is a magnet for pollinators like the bumblebee. It would make a welcome addition to your gardens. Post cards are available for free at our BGOSS Pods.
Pod S-16 has now been officially certified at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Southampton. The butterfly garden adorns the front entrance of the church walkway. The garden was planted to help celebrate the church’s 160th year of service in our community. As the church endeavors to fulfill the 5 Marks of Mission these gardens were planted to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Next time you are downtown Southampton, check out this beautiful garden located on the corner of High Street and Victoria Street.
Doug Archer is writing a feature story for the August issue of the Marketplace. As the interview started a monarch was busy laying eggs in the flower head of swamp milkweed at Perkins Park. Now, how cool is that?!
BGOSS proudly announces the opening of a new Pod at the Saugeen First Nation Library and Cultural Centre in Southampton. Pod S-15 was planted by children from the libraries after school program. Noodin Root, librarian, created the concept of having a butterfly garden, trees and vegetable gardens for the community to enjoy.
Kerry and Melitta presented to the Saugeen Shores Men’s Probus Club on July 2. Through videos, images, stories and a guitar sing-along, information was shared about the plight of monarchs, the challenges they face, the role and importance of milkweed and native plants and what Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores is doing to make a difference. BGOSS always welcomes the opportunity to share information through its presentations.
Diane, Melitta and Kerry shared stories about milkweeds, native plants and sang the BGOSS song, “Come Fly With Me”, to grade 1 and 2 student from St Joseph’s School in Port Elgin. Each student was given a copy of the Caterpillar Corner Activity Book to take home with them. According to Melitta, “It is so nice to see the children get excited and have fun with nature.”
BGOSS collector’s post card #7 is now available at our Nature Lending Library and at our pod posts. This post card shows the beauty of Butterfly flower in full bloom. It is a native milkweed plant that attracts a variety of pollinating insects. This is a beautiful plant to have in your garden and it is a food source for monarch caterpillars. You can use the post card to send a message to a friend, use it as a bookmark, or place it on your fridge door.
