Creatures in the Garden:

Title	Creatures in the Garden 26
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Photo Information	The Day Before the Monarch Arrives. A Monarch chrysalis is so beautiful just before the butterfly emerges. First it's a rich jade green flecked with gold, and topped with a gold tiara. Then it turns clear and you can see the wings inside. Magnificent
Photographer	Lampe, Christine: UC Master Gardener Vol.
Description	When milkweed showed up in my yard (I never planted it, so it must have come in with some compost) the Monarch butterflies were soon to follow. The grandkids and I had fun watching them go through all their stages. Last September, my husband surprised me for my birthday with a butterfly rearing cage he made. This photo was taken early this May on my patio of one of the caterpillars (now a chrysalis) raised in that enclosure (the screen keeps them safe from predators and parasitizing tachinid flies). This past June 10, 2017, I helped with the PolliNATION Festival held at the Chino Basin Water Conservation District. As head of the Butterfly Team, I gave talks on Gardening for Butterflies, emphasizing the need to provide more habitat, especially using California natives. We set up a butterfly information booth with lots of displays and living specimens, as well as a free flight tent with butterflies we raised locally. All butterflies were released that day with a beautiful ceremony.

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