A Monarch butterfly sips nectar from a Butterfly Weed plant at the Nature Center of Cape May.
                                                     Photo credit: The Nature Center of Cape May

Local wildlife gardening expert Patricia Sutton will lead two delightful Monarch butterfly programs on Saturday, September 19.  Join her at 10:30 a.m. at the Nature Center of Cape May for a lecture entitled Milkweed for Monarchs.

The beautiful Monarch butterfly, now to be seen flitting about the cape in increasing numbers, is in the midst of the most amazing known migration of the insect world.  The survival of the Monarch species depends largely on one plant, the humble milkweed, as milkweed is the sole host plant for Monarch butterfly eggs. The hatched caterpillars also depend entirely on healthy stands of milkweed for survival. Sutton, the author of many nature books, including How to Spot Butterflies, will explain how easy it is to attract Monarchs to your yard and help them multiply by planting various species of milkweed. 

In the afternoon, from 1:00-2:30 p.m., Sutton will lead a Monarch Walk through Cape May Point. The tour will visit public and private gardens and natural areas to spot migrating and nectaring Monarchs at the peak of their migration. For this walk, meet at the Pavilion Circle Gardens in Cape May Point, near the Cape May Point General Store. Park on any side street off the circle.

The fee for each program is $10.00 adults and $7.00 children ages 3 to 12, discounted to $8.00 adults and $5.00 children for New Jersey Audubon Society members. Children under the age of three are admitted free. Sign up for both Milkweed for Monarchs and the Monarch Walk, and save $2.00 per person on the combined price. Feel free to bring your lunch to picnic at the nature center between the two programs. 

Sutton will also be leading all-day tours of private butterfly gardens throughout Cape May County on September 26 and 27.

The Nature Center of Cape May is located at 1600 Delaware Ave., in Cape May.  Preregistration is recommended for all programs. Call the nature center at 609-898-8848.