126 Baptist Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire 03224, United States
All About Monarchs
8th Annual Monarch Festival
Our Virtual Monarch Festival was held on Saturday, Sept. 12th, 2020. We recorded each segment on Facebook Live, so in case you missed it, you can find links to the 4 recordings below. These recordings might remind you of the Academy Awards because we open each one with a dance number and I do a costume change in between each one! Beyond that the remainder of the recordings are like a nature show on Public Television. I hope you learn something and are entertained in the process. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions at donna@petalsinthepines.com.
9 AM - Our VIRTUAL opening of the Festival.
Welcome from Petals in the Pines.
What's the big deal about monarchs?
What is happening with their population?
How to identify a monarch and who are their look-alikes.
10:30 AM - All about Milkweed and Meadows!!
How to start milkweed from seed, germination tips, transplanting, growing, and collecting seed. You'll tour our new pollinator meadow and learn about how to care for one.
1 PM - The life cycle of the monarch butterfly.
This is a great lesson in metamorphosis! We compare the monarch's life cycle to other common butterflies and discuss tagging and rearing monarchs.
3 PM - We're going to Mexico!!
Well, not really, but we'll talk about the great monarch migration to Mexico! We discuss the "big picture" about how we can take care of our own yards and gardens to help monarchs and all pollinators. We tag and release a monarch during this segment too!
Throughout these sessions we highlight 3 local book authors who have written children's books about monarchs. You'll hear about a couple of great local businesses who have been part of our festival for a few years -- Hazel Moon Botanicals and Tanglewood Hollow. We'll have activities for kids too! Links for all of this, and many resources for monarchs and pollinators, can be found below as you scroll down the page.
We have free Swamp Milkweed Seed available on our Farm Stand porch shop, available while supplies last. The Farm Stand is open daily, 9-dusk, through Oct. 31, 2020.
SCROLL DOWN FOR A LIST OF RESOURCES
Monarch Presentation for Organizations & Clubs
Do you belong to a club or organization that is looking for a speaker? We have an hour-long Monarch power point presentation that has been enjoyed by garden clubs, women's groups and libraries. Filled with beautiful photos taken here at our gardens, you'll learn about the life-cycle of the Monarch, their amazing migration to Mexico, what they need to survive, and how you can help.
Donna has been a citizen scientist for Monarch Watch since 2008, tagging Monarchs annually before their fall migration. She weaves in interesting stories from her experience with these amazing creatures over the years.
Help Us Help the Monarchs!
Your generous contribution enables us to fulfill our educational mission, and supports like-minded organizations.
Monarch Festival Links
Children's Books
Three local women authors read aloud the books they've written about Monarchs. These videos would make a great story-time for your kids and there are links for each author if you want to purchase one of their books.
The Adventures of Largo and Shelby by Joanne Randall
But wait, Largo and Shelby are turtles. You have to look closely at the pages for the story within the story! leapyearmarketing.com/largo
Mirabelle's Metamorphosis by Sharon Rask Huntington
Sharon's photographs tell the story of a monarch's life cycle.
https://www.viewfoundimages.com/mirabelle-s-metamorphosis
Flutterfly by Carolyn Cutler Hughes
Love never ends, it only changes.
A Butterfly is not an Ant by Carolyn Cutler Hughes
A great children's story about realizing it's okay to be different.
Activities for Kids
Scroll down the left column on this page. Check out For Kids and Education. There are activities and educational information here for kids of all ages. If you want to get involved helping the monarchs click on Citizen Science.
So many great resources here! This link takes you to the "Spring" page. At the top you can click on Fall or Winter for so much more!!
This is something that should be done with the supervision of a parent or adult. Keeping the cage/net cleaned daily is very important. Please do your research before committing to this.
Monarch Life Cycle Beaded Bracelet
Watch as these kids assemble a bracelet with beads that represent the life cycle of monarchs. Kits are available on our Farm Stand Porch Shop for $2.00 each, while supplies last.
The Tale Trail at Petals in the Pines
Watch as 3 kids walk portions of our current Tale Trail, "Summer's Flight, Pollen's Delight." This Tale Trail will be set up through the end of September and is open daily from 9-6. It's a great story about pollinators and it takes you right through our wildflower meadow. Visit the Tale Trail page for more info.
Books for Kids:
Fly, Butterfly by Bonnie Bader
Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
Milkweed Visitors by Mary Holland
Great Products!
If you homeschool, or even if you don't, Allyson Speake has created amazing nature curriculum and activities for kids. The Exploring Butterflies Kit includes a 64 page activity booklet plus a 16 page Curiosity Notebook for kids. These products are digital meaning you'll get a link sent to you when you make your purchase and you print the materials. There are so many other topic materials available here including birds, earth, insects, mammals and plants. I use these products in my Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom and love them!!
Marie Davis of Gilmanton handcrafts her products using natural and organic ingredients and essential oils, with a focus on combinations and dilution ratios safe for the whole family. We carry some of her bug repellent in our farm stand. Before working in the garden I apply her Bug Balm and it keeps the insects and ticks off of me. She has so many other product lines too. Be sure to check out her web site and this video from Marie to learn more about her company.
As if Marie isn't busy enough with Hazel Moon, she also makes great gifts and sells them on Etsy. Be sure to check out her Monarch Bendy Doll!
Monarch Products at Petals in the Pines
If you stop by our Farm Stand we have a couple of monarch related products. For the kids you will find great Monarch Butterfly Bracelet kits for just $2 a piece. The kit comes with supplies and instructions to create your own beaded bracelet. Each colored bead represents a different part of the monarch's life cycle. It's a fun teaching tool for young kids.
We're known for our Leaf Stone Bird Baths, but have you ever seen one painted like a monarch butterfly? There is one pictured below in the slide show. We also make wall hanging leaves painted like a monarch. Best to call first and check on availability.
We have packets of "free" Swamp Milkweed Seed that comes with growing instructions. Milkweed seed is tricky -- it needs a cold treatment. Our instructions tell you an easy way to get these seeds germinated so you can start attracting monarchs to your yard and help save the monarch!! One packet per family, available while supplies last.
Growing Milkweed & Meadows
How to Cold Stratify and Germinate Milkweed Seed
This is for starting seeds indoors. The easy way to plant milkweed seed is to plant it outside in your garden just before the ground freezes, around late October.
Wildflower Meadows - Plant Selection & Establishment
This is local information from research at UNH with plant lists for NH gardens. Once you get to this page there are several more links on related subjects. Good stuff!
Pollinator Pathways Plant Lists
This is a great resource! A one-stop shop for several plant lists from many reputable organizations.
Instructions on how to create a Monarch Way Station. Make sure to register it too!
Create a Schoolyard Butterfly Habitat
Many schools are creating butterfly gardens. Here is a great resource to get started!
Where to buy Native Plants in NH
Bagley Pond Perennials, Warner
Found Well Farm, Pembroke
They will be open Sept. 19 & 20 only, from 9-5 each day. I might see you there!!
Pemi Native Plants, Plymouth
Email them at peminativeplants@gmail.com
I've purchase plants from all 3 of these growers. You can't wrong with any of them.
Monarch and Pollinator Organizations
There are many organizations out there doing good work to help the monarch, pollinators and that promote the use of native plants. Here are a few of them.
Monarch Watch Monarch Watch - Tagging
Pollinator Pathways NH on Facebook
UNH Cooperative Extension Courses
I've taken both of these classes and I highly recommend them. The fall courses have already begun but you can follow the links below to learn more about each.
Book List
Doug Tallamy Books
Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy
Nature's Best Hope powerpoint by Doug Tallamy on You Tube
The Living Landscape by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy
Monarchs & Butterflies
The Monarch, Saving our Most-Loved Butterfly by Kylee Baumle
Butterfly Book by Donald & Lillian Stokes & Ernest Williams
Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner
Gardening and Landscaping
Gardening for Butterflies by the Xerces Society
Attracting Native Pollinators by the Xerces Society
The Green Garden by Ellen Sousa
Native Plants of the Northeast by Donald J. Leopold
Native Plants for New England Gardens by Mark Richardson and Dan Jaffe
Integrated Landscaping: Following Nature's Lead, UNH Cooperative Extension