Monarch Waystation

The USM STEM Club set-out to provide a refuge for the monarchs that pass through campus during their fall migration. The Waystation provides a place where the butterflies can rest, lay their eggs, and get the necessary energy they need to continue their journey south.

The Spire Waystation was established during the summer of 2018 and is a nationally certified Monarch Waystation.



This project was made possible with donations from the Leavenworth community;
 * The Home Depot
 * Geiger Ready-Mix Co
 * Ace Hardware
 * Walmart
 * Jerry's Nursery & Landscaping

Why it Matters
Providing a place of refuge for monarch butterflies is an act of conservation that ensures continuation of the monarch’s great migration. Human activities have threatened the monarch’s habitat in both their summer and overwintering locations. An ideal habitat relies heavily on the presence of milkweed, a noxious plant that the butterfly lays her eggs on, however milkweed’s abundance is scarce and unwanted. Availability of nectar plants also plays a role in the monarch’s habitat and is threatened by the use of pesticides.

What is a Waystation?
A Monarch Waystation is a site that aims to meet necessary requirements of the monarch population as they migrate through the states during the fall.

A variety of milkweed species as a food source for the monarch larvae as well as annual and perennial nectar plants are necessary to support the butterfly’s nutritional needs. Providing a sunny, sheltered, and pesticide-free zone is also an important for an effective Waystation.

Important Species
Asclepias: Milkweed

There are a variety of milkweed species, all of which are capable for supporting the monarch species. The three milkweed species featured below can be found in our Waystation.

Milkweed is perhaps the most important species in an effective Waystation. The milkweed is the only plant that a monarch will lay eggs on and the only plant that the monarch larvae can eat.

ecology relationships

upkeep

history important life cycle