reposted from: https://www.bradfordera.com/
WELLSVILLE — The Butterfly Effect landed at a recent village board meeting when Mayor Randy Shayler announced that a new orange and black crusade has come to Wellsville.
Orange and black are the school colors and many of the town’s and village’s vehicles, ambulance and firetrucks mimic the colors.
At the meeting, the mayor read a letter from the Wellsville Monarchs, a group of individuals who have organized in the effort to prevent the extinction of the orange and black monarch butterfly. On July 21, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature announced that North America’s migratory monarch butterfly has been listed as an endangered species. Wellsville and Western New York are right in the middle of the butterfly’s habitat.
The Wellsville Monarchs requested help from the village board to help preserve existing milkweed areas and create a more hospitable habitat for the butterflies by turning land owned by the village into milkweed production. Milkweed is the main source of sustenance for monarchs in their caterpillar form and in itself has become sparse.
“We are asking that the village join our efforts to keep monarch butterflies around," the group stated. “We are aware the riverbanks and nearby areas contain numerous milkweed plants. We ask that the village help keep these areas intact. Removing the milkweed or using pesticides in the area will further inflict danger on the monarchs. Please contact us with any available space where a new habitat can also be created.”
The letter was signed by Cortney Long, Brandon Nye, Michelle Day and Kelly Roll.
Both before and during the meeting the trustees discussed possible areas that might be left unmown and left to the production of milkweed to provide habitat for the monarch and other butterflies. Some of the suggestions included behind the sewer plant and on the old dump site off the Andover Road.
Public Works Superintendent Dean Arnold was directed to look around the village and come up with a list of village owned properties which can be turned into milkweed production for Monarch habitat.
Mayor Shayler inquired as to where to obtain milkweed seeds. According to the Wellsville Monarchs they have recently distributed several dozen milkweed seed packets to community and the surrounding community members through their Facebook page. Milkweed seed packets are also being offered by the National Wildlife Federation.
Trustee Mike Roeske noted that each milkweed plant contains hundreds of seeds.
According to American Meadows, milkweed plants need plenty of diffuse light as they grow. They should be planted in full sun locations. There is a milkweed variety for every landscape.
Common milkweed grows well in average garden soil. Swamp milkweed, as its name implies, will do best in a moist environment, making it great for wet meadows or rain gardens.
Tropical milkweed performs beautifully in hot, humid conditions, and can be grown as an annual in the north. Butterfly weed grows best in dry conditions.
Milkweed establishes a large, deep root system and prefers not to be transplanted.
For more information on local efforts to preserve the monarch butterfly, go to the Wellsville Monarch Facebook page and take a part in the Butterfly Effect.
The Butterfly Effect is the philosophical concept that change is precipitated by small actions or — “when a butterfly flaps its wings in India, that tiny change in air pressure could eventually cause a tornado in Iowa.”