The monarch butterly was recently added to the list of endangered species, thanks to so much of its native habitat being destroyed. Humans will never be as noble as this magnificent creature, and my heart hurts at the idea that their numbers are dwindling. I left a stalk of milkweed alone in the garden (where it really didn’t belong) in a sad attempt at making the area more hospitable to these regal beauties. Alas, it preferred the flashier butterfly bush, where it paused to pose for a few pictures.
In keeping with the dire news of their declining numbers, this was the first monarch we’ve seen all summer. We used to have many fluttering about the lofty stalks of the cup plant and aforementioned butterfly bush – this year there was only this one. But one is better than none, and a single being is enough to give the smallest sliver of hope to see us through the winter.
