Albany citizens encouraged to plant milkweed
By Sandy Morris
On Monday, Albany mayor Susan Montgomery officially signed a proclamation declaring this as Monarch Awareness Week, with several activities already taking place and a couple more planned in the next few days.
Montgomery decided to participate in the program after she received a letter from the National Wildlife Federation last month.
“All mayors whose cities or towns are in the path of the monarch butterfly migration path were asked to make this proclamation,” said Montgomery. “By doing this, we are making a commitment to help create a habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators.”
The mayor explained that community leaders across several states are taking action to help save the species, whose eastern populations have declined by 90 percent and western populations by an astonishing 99 percent.
Milkweeds are the only host plants in which monarchs will lay their eggs, and to compound the problem, milkweed is also in short supply.
In addition, seeds must be picked by hand in order to harvest them for planting.
Montgomery was able to locate a milkweed plant this last week, and she plans to place it in Albany’s Community Garden near the Texas By Nature sign following the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Friday, March 26.
The city purchased milkweed seeds to be distributed at the Monarch Family Fair on Wednesday. However, at press time, rain was threatening to cause the event to be cancelled.
Individuals are being asked to plant the seeds at home and around town in order to help feed the migrating monarchs when they pass through this area.
Old Jail Art Center staff members planned their weekly activities around the monarch with a tie-in to this week’s craft kit.
The kits are available in the “Art@Home” activity trunk located at the front gates of the OJAC until Sunday, March 28.
Kits are free of charge and are available to children ages four to 12.
Special activities for the local monarch emphasis will wrap up at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27 with a virtual lecture on the Texas Monarch Migration sponsored by the Old Jail.
The lecture will be livestreamed on the OJAC Facebook page @facebook.com/theojac.
