Help the Monarchs, Free Milkweed Pods Available at Town Square

Sandy Blank, our friend and local resident stopped by today with a box of milkweed pods hoping the community will take some to plant this fall. Anyone can pick pods up at the Town Square lobby during business hours. 

“The monarch caterpillar’s only food source is milkweed,” said Sandy. “They need it to survive.”

Sandy, an artist, teacher, and riding instructor, recently moved to a sprawling 15-acre farm in Green Lake, and as she and her three horses get settled, she is also learning about what is growing on the land. The landscape is full of native plants, and she has found that all the milkweed she has is hugely beneficial to the monarchs. Not only do the caterpillars feed on the milkweed, but the monarch butterflies also need milkweed to lay their eggs. 

“I have so much milkweed, and I would love it if others would help plant more around their gardens and landscaping,” Sandy stated.

Sandy learned all about the importance of milkweed for the butterflies to survive at a January program presented by the Bird & Nature Club, who meet regularly at Town Square. Now she uses what she learned and her creativity to design a landscape that will be beneficial to her horses and other insects and animals.

“A bird club member and leading expert on Wisconsin butterflies, Mike Reese, connected us to Jessica Miller from the Mosquito Hill Nature Center in New London,” said Tom Schultz, club president. “Jessica is an expert in monarchs and she gave a very informative presentation.”

One of the many things they learned was that Fall is an ideal time to plant milkweed because of the cooler temperatures in Wisconsin. There are numerous resources online that teach you about correctly planting milkweed and educate you on the variety of plants available. 

So take advantage of Sandy’s generosity and pick up your free milkweed pods to plant this fall. We look forward to hearing about your successful plantings next spring!