This summer marks the 10th year that Cole Library has had a monarch nursery at the first-floor circulation desk. Patty Ankrum and Andria Cossolotto helped start the nursery allowing us to draw attention to the dwindling numbers of monarchs and to teach patrons – both young and old- how make a difference.

If you think you want to help butterflies leave the milkweed you see in your yard or garden. If you see it growing wild, leave it there for fluttering monarchs to lay their eggs on. It is the only plant the monarchs lay eggs on and that the caterpillar can eat. You can also help all butterflies by putting your herbicides and pesticides away. You don’t want to plant milkweed and other butterfly friendly plants, enticing them to your garden, and then spray poison on their buffet.

If you think you want to raise monarchs we have several books about them and how to do this successfully. Monarchwatch.com is also a wonderful resource. If you don’t want to raise monarch in your home, you can still stop in and enjoy our nursery. It is an amazing transformation to watch.