Walker Nature Center
BRANCHING OUT
A LOOK INSIDE • Calendar 4 • Kids’ Corner 6 • The Good Side of Darkness 7 • Nature Camps 8
Nature Notes By Pam Findley
JUNE • • • • •
Bats are born. Northern Red-backed Salamanders lay eggs. Spotted Wintergreen and Common Milkweed bloom. Great Spangled Fritillary and Viceroy butterflies take flight. June 21 – Summer Solstice – First day of summer
JULY • • • • •
Cardinal Flower, Wild Bergamot and Mountain Mint bloom. Praying mantises and katydids are common. Fireflies and bats are active in the night sky. Eastern Ratsnakes lay eggs. July 12 – Venus, Mars and the Crescent Moon are visible.
AUGUST
• Southern Flying Squirrels are born. • Asters, sunflowers and goldenrods bloom. • Eastern Box Turtles and Snapping Turtles hatch. • Fall bird migration begins. • August 12, 13 – Perseids Meteor Shower
Monarchs in Peril By Susan Sims
The Monarch butterfly is aptly named as an example of nature’s royal pageantry - an orange and black symphonic flame, signaling the arrival of sunny, summer days in Virginia. Their grace, vibrancy and fortitude have inspired stories among Native American traditions, in religious texts and in Mexican folklore. They are symbols of dreaming, creation and the promise of rebirth. The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is possibly the most identifiable butterfly in North America and an ambassador for pollinators everywhere. Its bright colors and large size make it hard to miss, sailing on the breeze. Even with its importance to many cultures and its association with pollination, its numbers are dwindling. The Monarch’s decline has motivated organizations, nonprofits, federal agencies and individuals to identify ways to help the species, and those in Reston can do their part, too.
Numbers in Decline
According to the Xerces Society, populations of Monarchs that live in the eastern United States and overwinter in the oyamel forests of central Mexico have declined 80% since the 1990s. Western populations that overwinter in California have declined 99%. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the biggest issues facing the butterflies in the U.S. and in Mexico. Often, this loss is a result of human activity such as development, monoculture farming, and roadside mowing. The spread of invasive plants also reduces butterfly habitat. Coupled with pesticide usage, which does not discriminate among insects, the Monarch’s reign is in peril. Following a scientific assessment of the butterfly’s status beginning in 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced in December of 2020 that “listing the Monarch as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act is warranted but precluded by higher priority listing actions.” FWS has assigned a listing priority of eight to the Monarch, indicating that threats are “moderate and imminent”.
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Summer | 21 | Volume Twenty Three