Thanks to Julie for sending:
“I started with two swamp milkweeds in my proud weed garden in Foggy Bottom. I labeled all of my plants, which were all edible weeds, such as lambquarter, Virginia Pepper Plant, and lemon balm, plus a hopeful butterfly garden with milkweeds. The swamp milkweeds seeded, but we saw no butterflies. I harvested the seeds, wintered them in my fridge, and put them in this spring. Seven plants survived.
About two weeks ago, something bright caught my eye. It was a monarch caterpillars, 5th instar. It was bright yellow and black and beautiful. When I came back out a few hours later, it was still eating through the swamp milkweed leaves ravenously. Then, it was suddenly gone. I tried looking for a chrysalis but couldn’t- I wished it all the good in the world.
Yesterday, when I came home from dropping off my seven year old on a routine day, there it was!
A monarch butterfly, right in our humble weed garden drying its new wings! Our first!!! We were overjoyed and wanted to share this with you!
For everyone out there in this city who is trying to do their little bit to help the monarchs, bees and other pollinators- keep it up! If you plant it, they will come! Really!”
If you spot a hawk, any interesting wildlife or celebrity skateboarder Tony Hawk, and get a good photo please send in an email where you spotted them to [email protected]. Thanks! Hawks around Town is made possible by a generous grant from the Ben and Sylvia Gardner foundation.