116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Photos: Promoting the growth of a monarchy
CEDAR RAPIDS — Members of the Cedar Rapids Garden Club did what they could at the Brucemore Garden and Art Show on Saturday, August 22 to promote the return of the monarch butterfly.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, monarch populations have declined sharply because of a similar decline in the only plant the insects eat: milkweed.
The Cedar Rapids Garden Club spent Saturday trying to raise awareness about the plight of the monarch and encourage people to do what they can to make the city a haven for the butterfly.
A similar effort was made during RAGBRAI in July, when members of the University of Iowa's College of Public Health helped make and hand out about 2,000 milkweed seed balls in the hopes riders would toss them along the route.
Harry O'Donnell holds a monarch before it is released into the garden on Saturday, August 22, 2015. (Andy Abeyta/The Gazette)
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