Observation of the week: September 4 - 10, 2021

It’s our last OOTW before our virtual wrap up event on Saturday! Thank you for your participation in this year’s project.

We hope you can join us this Saturday, September 18 from 9:30-10:30am for our virtual wrap-up event. We will be celebrating the end of our third year of Butterfly Blitz. We will provide a project overview, discuss some exciting observations, share video footage and have time for you to share your experiences with observing butterflies this summer. Oh and of course, there will be prizes too! If you didn’t get the invitation by email, reach out to Lindsey (lindsey.jennings@cvc.ca) to get the link.

We’re happy to share our 18th observation of the week, from Julie (@sunrisegardener). This Clouded Sulphur caught our attention with the pink markings on the butterfly beautifully complementing the pink Coneflower it’s drinking from. The level of detail in the photo is remarkable.

The Clouded Sulphur is one of the most widespread and common butterflies in North America. The name Sulphur comes from the element – when in its solid state is a bright yellow. In other areas of the world, these butterflies are simply known as “Yellows”.

You may have noticed that Julie has been posting a lot in our Butterfly Blitz project this year. The garden she has created just might be the reason why. Julie shares, “For me, butterflies are magical. They bring me joy all summer long. All my Butterfly Blitz photos were taken in our suburban garden, as I want to show people what a difference they can make by planting natives and host plants at home.

Julie worked with others to start a Facebook group called Let's Nurture Nature Halton Hills. The goal of the group is to share knowledge and resources to increase pollinator habitat in Halton Hills. They also give away free pollinator plants, mostly grown by Julie. Anyone in the area can join the group – if you live in Halton Hills, check it out!

Julie loves sharing plants to help pollinators and has given away over 2,500 this year! She says: “All summer long I have received delighted text messages with photos of butterflies and bees in people's gardens, often on plants I have given them. Some families took home Monarch caterpillars to raise and they involved all the children in their neighbourhoods. Then they shared their precious photos of children delighted by the little caterpillars they were nurturing. Being able to bring such joy into people's lives, while creating sanctuary for wildlife, is a priceless gift.

We truly appreciate the wonderful contribution Julie is making to increase butterfly habitat in her area. We are delighted to hear about her efforts to attract butterflies to not only to her space, but also to many others.

Post written by Miranda Floreano (@mfloreano), Crew Leader, Community Outreach

Posted on September 15, 2021 01:15 PM by lltimms lltimms

Comments

Wow, what a fantastic contribution and in my little town too! Great work Julie!

Posted by bevlynn99 over 2 years ago

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