Butterfly Memories

Thank you all for a wonderful butterfly season, We added a lot of healthy beautiful Monarchs to the population! For those of you that bought a tagged butterfly today, the website you check in the Spring/late Spring is Monarchwatch.org. to see if your tag was recovered. As most of you know, the business is for sale. It takes a certain individual to take this over. My husband seems to think I'll be back next year 😉

We will be at Maple Grove Farmers Market this Thursday, Sept 12th with tagged Monarchs for the migration. Last year we had one that made it to Kansas City in 27 days! It was captured, recorded and sent on it's way.

After a great deal of consideration, we are going to have to end the butterfly season a couple weeks early this year, .

If you pre-paid, you'll be reimbursed, If you needed a replacement, you will also be reimbursed. If you haven't contacted me, please do so, we'll make it right.

Also, Butterfly Memories is FOR SALE. After 18 years, it's time to pass the torch.😥

Thanks for the laughs, smiles, pictures and stories! Thanks for the butterfly memories,
Bill and Rebecca

Have some bad news Folks, We can't attend today. I have a butterfly order that I forgot to put on my calendar so I can't sell any of the caterpillars- I need them as butterflies! Sorry to disappoint. 😔

Hopefully the weather will hold out so you can enjoy the Vendors who work so hard to provide you with quality product week after week. See you next week!

We will not be at the St. Francis Farmers Market today due to the rain starting around 3pm. Contact me and I'll gladly set up a time to meet you in town otherwise I'll see you on the 28th.

As of now, we are planning on being at Maple Grove Farmers Market tomorrow as the rain should be ending around 3pm. Watching to see if anything changes. Haven't counted yet but probably limited caterpillars, pre-order by 1pm Thursday. See you there!

!!!! ATTENTION !!!! If you had a caterpillar that didn't make it, they are guaranteed. You need to contact me so I can save a caterpillar for you. If I don't know in advance, I can't help you if we run out before you get there. Please refer to the instructions if you have questions.

We're heading to Maple Grove today but caterpillars are very limited! Pre-order by 1pm if you need a caterpillar today.

We were rained out at St. Francis Farmer's Market today, We left after an hour, had to get back to the farm to save what was outside, We're local, need something? Text me and we'll figure it out! See you at Maple Grove tomorrow! Should have enough. You know the drill by now... need it? Pre-order at www.butterflymemories.com . Shout out to the great friends at the Slice of Shoreview this last weekend, so good to see you!

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Headed to Maple Grove Today! Friday, Saturday and Sunday, We'll be at the Slice of Shoreview. Yay! Good abundance of caterpillars all 4 days. To be safe Pre-order on-line

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What a day. I didn't even have time to post. Have over 1300 butterflies going out. St. Francis Farmers Market was so busy! What a great customer base.See you all at Maple Grove tomorrow! Supply might be limited. I suggest pre-ordering at butterflymemories.com.

We will be at St. Francis Farmer's Market today, 3-7pm. Butterfly kits, Itchsticks and farm fresh eggs. No Maple Grove market this week. Have a safe and relaxing 4th of July!

We will be at Maple Grove Farmer's Market on Thursday! I thought we didn't have enough caterpillars, but those little buggers grew up to save the show. See you there.

Today we will be at the St. Francis Farmer's Market located at the Community Park in the parking lot of Highway-47 and 227, St.
Francis, MN 55070, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. We'll be there e/o week. Tomorrow, Maple Grove. I have a good amount of caterpillars and should be OK.

HEADS UP! Probably won't be at Maple Grove next week. Butterflies don't lay eggs when it's raining or the chance of rain resulting in no caterpillars. I think we've had about 13 inches since the beginning of June. Great for the gardens, not so much for butterflies.

Looks like we'll have a gorgeous day tomorrow, maybe a little warm for some. I will run out of caterpillars. Please pre-order at butterflymemories.com by 1pm tomorrow. I turn off pre-buys when I leave for market. Hope to see you there!

Butterfly season 2024 has officially started! We will be at Maple Grove Farmer's Market this Thursday, but at a temporary different location. It is at 9060 Zanzibar Lane, Maple Grove, 55311. Church of the Open Door has accepted the Farmer's Market to use their parking lot for the season. The City is expanding the Community Center.

Caterpillar supply is limited. I recommend ordering on-line at butterflymemories.com to be sure you'll get one. Prices increased this year, didn't want to, but it is what it is.

Excited to see everyone and my husband will be helping for the first time at Maple Grove.

Please notice that someone's tagged butterfly was captured, recorded and released, last Fall on it's journey to Mexico. It is the top post on my page and no one has claimed it!

Monarchs have arrived in Minnesota! 1st Maple Grove Farmer's Market June 6th at a different location this year due to construction.
The Market will be located at the new location, 9060 Zanzibar Ln N., Maple Grove MN 55311 (parking lot of Church of the Open Door). Other Markets will be St. Francis, details to follow. And of course, I'm happy to meet you at the Green Barn Garden Center any day of the week. Hope to see you there!

Oh Wow! A Morning Cloak butterfly came through the yard this afternoon, a month early. Edit- This is a photo I grabbed off the web so you could identify the butterfly. Morning Cloaks over-winter in MN and feed on sap and rotting fruit, rarely feed on fresh flowers. The Maples and Birch have been producing sap for a few weeks already. They move fast so getting a pic is challenging.

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1. Mexico Overwintering Numbers Announced
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Yesterday, the WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance, in collaboration with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), announced the total forest area occupied by overwintering monarch colonies. Nine (9) colonies were located this winter season with a total area of 0.90 hectares, a 59.3% decrease from the previous season (2.21 ha). This is the second lowest number counted to date – the lowest was 0.67 ha during the 2013–2014 overwintering season.

From a Q&A with Chip Taylor, Founding Director of Monarch Watch and Kristen Baum, Director of Monarch Watch:

Q: Was this news expected?

Taylor: This news is a shock to all who follow monarchs. The depth of this decline is beyond our experience, and the implications for the future of the monarch migration are surely of concern. However, populations have been low in the past. This count does not signal the end of the eastern monarch migration.

Q: Why is the population so small this year?

Taylor: Monarch numbers are at a near all-time low because of drought conditions last fall that extended from Oklahoma deep into central Mexico. Droughts reduce flowering and therefore nectar production, and monarchs need the sugars in nectar to fuel the migration and to develop the fat reserves that get them through the winter.

Q: Will monarchs recover?

Taylor: Catastrophic mortality due to extreme weather events is part of their history. The numbers have been low many times in the past and have recovered, and they will again. Monarchs are resilient.

Q: What can people do to help monarchs recover?

Baum: To recover, monarchs will need an abundance of milkweeds and nectar sources. We need to get more milkweed and nectar plants in the ground, and we all need to contribute to this effort.

Please see the Monarch Watch Blog for additional information and continue reading to find out how you can support Monarch Watch's efforts to get more milkweed in the ground.

Monarch Watch Tagging Program • Monarch Calendar Project • Directional Flight Project • Monarch Watch Tag Recoveries • Report a Tagged Monarch Sighting • 2022 Monarch Watch Symposium • Monarch Population Status • Monarch Conservation Specialists • Bring Back The Monarchs • Monarchs in Space Proj...

Exciting News!!! One of the tagged Monarchs from the last day we were at Maple Grove Farmers Market was observed in Tulsa, Oklahoma on it's way to Mexico! If this is your tag number, email me at [email protected] and I'll personalize your Certificate.

Here are the details:

monarch AHYB846, female
tagged and released 9-14-2023 in Maple Grove, MN
captured and released on 10-11-2023 in Tulsa, OK (Tulsa Garden Center at Woodward Park)
27 days and ~700 miles

Thank you for your participation!

Jim

Thank you all for a productive season. We added lots of healthy Monarchs to the population! Have a safe and enjoyable Fall/Winter season until we meet again.

We will be at Maple Grove Farmer's Market on Thursday and Isanti Farmer's Market on Friday with tagged Monarch butterflies!

The tags were purchased through Monarchwatch.org. This Organization has been monitoring the migration for years. The first recorded monarch recovered came from Minnesota. Reared Monarchs account for 5% recoveries vs. 9% of wild caught.

Butterflies are tagged, you bring home or to a special place and release your Monarch. Your butterfly's tag number is on your envelope. Save your envelope and start checking in the Spring at Monarchwatch.org and see if your tag was recovered!

Butterflies are 8.00 each and there are a limited amount. I will add them to the website so they are available for pre-buy. See you there!

We will not be there today. Warmed caterpillars up and still not eating. See you next week with tagged butterflies for migration. That will be the last week of the Season! See you there!

I don't know if we'll have caterpillars tomorrow at Maple Grove. After the high temps for 4 days and a 30 degree drop overnight the caterpillars are acting stressed. I'll look to see how they are tomorrow! There's a couple pre-buy refills and I'll issue refunds if we can't come. We will be there next week for sure with tagged Monarchs for the migration!

We will not be at Isanti tomorrow due to the heat. I'm available to meet at the Green Barn tomorrow and all weekend. Contact me, text or phone, 763.245.2843

Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather, looks like things are heating up for Labor Day! We have about the same amount of caterpillars as last week and didn't run out. Might run short next week, the last week of caterpillars. The last week will be tagged Monarchs for release only. Reminder, we will be at the Union Depot in St. Paul on Wed, Sept 6th, 10-2pm. See you at the market!

Numbers for Tomorrow and Friday. We should be good, have a very large pick up for a School classroom. With the State Fair and the heat, it will probably be slow. As usual, pre-order if it's important. Butterflymemories.com See you there!