The need for milkweed

Dear Editor:
With support from Mayor Stack and Board of Commissioners, Union City has a Farmer’s Market from June until September. This will prove to be a healthful alternative to junk food and spur interest in sustainability. Thank you Mayor Stack. Residents might be interested in the plight of our native orange and black butterfly, the Monarch. A flyer by gmofreeusa.org states: “Butterfly in Jeopardy. Roundup doused GM crops wipe out habitat and serve as killing fields. Population decline 94 percent. Last year’s decline 59 percent. How many Monarchs did you see this summer? Save the Monarch. Boycott Roundup. Plant milkweed.” People who buy at a Farmer’s Market probably won’t want to eat genetically modified stuff. Round up is an herbicide from Monsanto. Eric Sachs of Monsanto’s Scientific Outreach Lead in “Restoring Natural Habitat for the Monarch Butterfly” mentions Monsanto’s pledge to give over 4 million dollars over the next 3 years to support Monarch research, education, and habitat restoration. Among things he suggests for action is planting milkweed and nectar plants.
Last week I walked the length of Palisade Avenue from Washington Park to the main post office looking for milkweed plants. I found 2 spots with less than a dozen milkweeds and a few of those plants were infested with aphids. I did not see any Monarchs and only a few Red Admiral and Cabbage butterflies near Ellsworth Park. All of us need to decide our level of commitment to help the Monarch butterfly but planting milkweed and wildflowers is one option. Monsanto will provide an additional 100,000 milkweed plants. I think that’s a step in the right direction and will avoid vilifying Monsanto. Each of us have to make up our mind about negative claims and adverse effects from Roundup. I hope and ask that Mayor Stack and Board of Commissioners will explore the plight of the Monarch butterfly and support local efforts to plant more milkweed. And I strongly encourage our residents to plant milkweed. Perhaps this concern will come to the attention of our local Farmer’s Markets and they will spread the word and offer milkweed or butterfly weed plugs or seeds. And support butterfly conservation efforts in Union City and the county.

Sincerely,
R. Tony Squire

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