Milkweed pod collection will aid monarch butterflies

OAK HARBOR - Local residents can have a big part in supporting the declining monarch butterfly population by simply picking milkweed seed pods and dropping them off at the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District Office in Oak Harbor. The office has partnered with the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative to organize a Statewide Milkweed Pod Collection. After undergoing a lengthy preparation process, the seeds will be planted to reestablish milkweed populations across the state.

As the monarch’s sole host plant for laying eggs, milkweed is vital to the butterflies’ survival, but it is estimated that 2.2 million acres of potential milkweed habitat is lost in the United States annually. The loss is partially because of conversion of habitat land to other uses and the application of herbicides on non-crop plants.

The loss of milkweed has contributed to an estimated 90 percent decline in the monarch population, said Lori Stevenson, Ohio Private Lands State Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The service is currently gathering information on the monarch to determine if it should be placed on the federal endangered species list.

Other factors negatively affecting the monarch population may include timbering, increased infestation of bark beetles, air pollution, and an increase in untimely cold weather that has hit the butterflies during their southern migration and at their winter grounds in central Mexico.

Monarchs undergo a four-part life cycle that begins with laying eggs on milkweed and continues through the caterpillar, pupa and adult stages. Monarchs may lay up to four batches of eggs in Ohio, but it is only the fourth group of adults that makes the migratory trip to Mexico. While the other generations die in Ohio, the last group, known as the Super Generation, heads south, much like birds do.

“It’s one of those natural wonders,” Stevenson said.

In an effort to support the monarch population, OPHI has established a Statewide Milkweed Pod Collection and has asked county conservation districts to become collection stations.

“We are the collection point for Ottawa County,” said Mike Libben, District Program Administrator for the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District. “People can bring them here. Our canister is outside the building, so they can drop them off anytime.”

Pods should be picked when the seed inside is brown and the center seam of the pod pops with gentle pressure. It is best to store the pods in paper bags, because plastic bags or containers can hold moisture than can harm the seeds.

“We’re in the right time period now, because the pods now have viable seeds,” Libben said.

Stevenson said the collected pods will be delivered to correctional centers across the state, where inmates will clean the seeds. From there, biologists will put the seeds through a cold stratifying process which seeks to replicate the natural overwintering process seeds undergo in nature.

In early spring, the seeds will be sent to universities where they will be used to create milkweed plugs for planting across the state. Stevenson said plantings will be done through a variety of organizations, including school groups, metro parks and arboretums.

Stevenson also encourages Ohio residents to plant milkweed in their own yards.

“Lots of people have backyards, so even they can have a part in helping the monarch population. Don’t only plant milkweed but also other nectar-producing wildflowers, especially the flowers we tend to leave out of the landscape — the late-season bloomers,” she said. “Pollinators are so important, because they pollinate our food. It’s important to do what we can for them.”

The Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District is at 240 W. Lake St., Oak Harbor. Milkweed pods can be dropped off in the outdoor bin anytime. The collection ends Oct. 30.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty atsheri.trusty@gmail.com or 419-639-0662.