Episode Details

Why are monarch butterflies so special? If you follow me on Instagram, you already know my answer. The monarch butterfly has completely taken over my heart. I literally dressed up as one for Halloween this year, and I have zero regrets! Ever since my husband and I moved to Florida, I started planting milkweed just to watch them hatch in my own yard. And wow. Seeing their life cycle happen right in front of me made me think deeply about gardening. It also made me realize I had a lot to learn. So I called up my favorite wildlife nerd, David Mizejewski, and we spent a whole podcast episode just geeking out about monarch butterflies together! Let's dive in!

In this episode, we learn:

• [03:57] Meet David Mizejewski, a naturalist, NWF, and a fellow monarch nerd!
• [04:36] Why monarch butterflies hold a special emotional place for me
• [06:06] What are the benefits of monarchs?
• [08:49] Are monarchs really disappearing?
• [10:53] Why the endangered/threatened designation is so confusing
• [12:52] What would a "threatened" listing actually do for monarchs?
• [15:28] Manukora
• [17:13] How microplastics affect the environment
• [18:25] Why are monarchs disappearing?
• [19:20] The monarch lifecycle
• [22:19] Why monarchs are specialists
• [29:48] How gardeners can actually help monarch butterflies
• [31:33] Native milkweed varieties worth knowing
• [35:12] How to source pesticide-free native plants
• [36:45] What are neonicotinoids?
• [37:37] Which milkweed to avoid (aka the tropical milkweed problem)
• [42:39] How to visually identify tropical milkweed
• [45:05] Why you shouldn’t hand-rear monarchs!
• [48:25] How the monarch migration actually works
• [52:03] What to do instead of hand-rearing!
• [53:43] Why parasitic wasps killing caterpillars is natural
• [57:46] Where to find native plants by zip code
• [59:46] How to certify your monarch garden with NWF
• [01:01:19] My plans for my new home, my HOA, and my neighborhood kids!
• [01:02:35] NWF's "cues of care" strategy
• [01:04:37] Where to find David and all NWF resources

Mentioned in our conversation:

• National Wildlife Federation
• Native Plants Finder
• Garden for Wildlife
• Native Plant Finder by Zip Code
• Certified Wildlife Habitat

If you want to help the monarch population,

check out the full show notes and blog for David's expert advice!

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