18
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SPRING
2015
LENDING AHAND
Story | Tom Hakala Photos | TheMorgan family
Assoonas I read
thearticle inEscarpment
®
Magazine’sSpring
2014onendangered speciescalled“We’re inTrouble, PleaseHelp
Us”, I thought ofmy friendsCliveandMaryMorgan. Locatedon the
BrucePeninsula, theyoperateamonarchnurseryat their home inan
effort tohelp increase thedepletednumbersof thesebeautiful butter-
flies.
It all started in2009when theMorgans toured theBruce Peninsula
National ParkVisitorCentre inTobermory. Thevisitorcentrehada ter-
rariumondisplay featuring livemonarcheggs, caterpillars, chrysalis
andbutterflies.Amember of theNational Park staffwasgivinga lec-
ture on the plight of the species and explained that monarchs are
unique in part because of the extensive migration they make from
Canadaand thenorthernUnitedStates toaspecificwoodlandofOy-
amel trees inMexico. Another unique trait of these fascinating crea-
tures is the fact that the larva will only eat Milkweed plants.
Unfortunately, thismakes themvulnerablewhenOyamel trees inMex-
icoareharvestedorwhenmilkweedplantsaredestroyed invastareas
across theU.S.midwest. Like thehoneybee, another factor in thebut-
terflies’ decline is linked to the use of pesticides that contain
Glyphosate (themain ingredient in ‘Roundup’). That iswhy theVisitor
Centrewas raisingMonarchs in the terrarium, togive thedelicate in-
sectsa fightingchance togrowanddevelopand repopulate.
ESCARPMENT
®
FEATURE
