Butterflies in Bloom?

Kathy Leaycraft became curious about the literal flight of the monarch butterfly after only seeing two of the orange-and-black variety last summer.

After perusing the Internet, Leaycraft learned “what a disaster we have on our hands.”

The butterflies, which Leaycraft said winter in Mexico, are at great “risk” for having their 1,200 to 2,800-mile migratory patterns impacted by pesticides, loss of habitat and climate changes, according to 50-year-old conservation organization, World Wildlife Foundation.

“I became really agitated about the situation,” said Leaycraft, a member of the Gardeners of Crooked Billet.

Leaycraft is hoping to turn her agitation into action. In an effort to protect the remaining monarch butterfly populations, she has proposed converting a 10’x8’ space at the back of Hatboro’s undeveloped Miller Meadow into a raised garden aimed at attracting monarchs.  

“What butterflies need is water, sun and milkweed,” Leaycraft told the Hatboro Borough Council in a brief presentation last week. “You’ve got it all there.”

Leaycraft said she and others from the Gardeners of Crooked Billet would create and maintain the garden. Milkweed seeds are available free of charge from Monarch Watch, an organization committed to helping communities develop monarch waystations – or habitats – in home gardens, schools, parks and more. Once Hatboro’s waystation is established, it would be listed on Monarch Watch’s Web site, Leaycraft said, and the organization would provide site signage.

“I’d be really proud to say my hometown is doing this,” Leaycraft said. “I think it would bring people to Hatboro.”

The council is expected to take action on Leaycraft’s proposal during its Feb. 27 meeting. If the governing body votes affirmatively, Leaycraft said she would begin preparing the soil in March for the “lasagna gardening” consisting of layers of newspaper and soil. If all goes well with the milkweed and butterfly bushes, Leaycraft said monarch butterflies would begin showing up by mid-August.

Councilman Mark Sheedy, who heads up the borough’s facilities committee, which includes parks and recreation, said he was happy to begin his political career with such a positive effort.

“I think it will be beautiful there,” Sheedy said. “It would be a good educational thing for schools.”

Indeed, Leaycraft said she hopes school-aged children would come to watch the butterflies’ life cycle unfold from caterpillar to cocoon to monarch.  

“For kids to see this process - it’s a miracle,” Leaycraft said. “It’s beautiful.”