Monarchs
By Payton Parker with Sarah Geurtz
Read time: 3 minutes
This week, I have a guest contributor!
Sarah Geurtz is a friend and client who works in Downtown Springdale. She and her husband, James, own Earthplan Design Alternatives (EDA), which specializes in civil engineering and landscape architecture. They’ve contributed to a number of exciting local projects, including the recently featured Springdale Senior Center.
Today, Sarah writes about the importance of Springdale’s native plants and their impact on the monarch butterfly. Enjoy!
Young Lillian Geurtz with a tag for Monarch Watch. The tagging is a citizen science project that helps scientists track the routes of the Monarchs.
Monarchs have flight highways!
Their highways have been used for thousands of years. Fortunately for us, Springdale is on the longest and most used “Monarch Highway” between North America and Mexico (they have some smaller overwintering grounds on the west coast and in Florida). This trip takes Monarchs 3,000+ miles!
This Saturday, you’ll find the Monarch the star of the party at Springdale’s yearly Monarch Flight Festival at Luther George Park. Visit for a free family-friendly celebration honoring this incredible journey, promoting pollinator protection, and inspiring environmental learning.
The Journey
The Monarch’s trip is an incredible survival story and they need help. Monarchs make “cafe” and “nursery” stops along their journey. In the Spring, the adults fly north through Mexico to the northern USA. The next generations making the trip back to Mexico are shorter lived-only living 2-6 weeks before they die.
While the butterfly stage requires nectar to feed their bodies, their young — their caterpillars — require Milkweed to eat (they only eat Milkweed). This is why they must find Milkweed to lay their eggs on so their progeny can complete the journey they cannot – back to Mexico.
The best food for them comes from our native plants. To provide these cafes and nurseries along their journey, here’s info to get you set up for success!
You can:
Plant milkweed
Plant a mixture of nectar-producing plant species that bloom at different times so there’s always nectar available from Spring through Fall
Don’t spray pesticides – you don’t want to kill the caterpillars or adults!
Visit the Arkansas Native Plant Society for local growers of native plants
Check out the Dr. Compton Native Tree & Plant Sale (9/24-9/27)
Or the Wild Ones Ozark Chapter Fall Native Plant Sale (10/11)
Check out Monarch Watch to learn more about Monarchs!
Under Construction
James and Sarah were my neighbors when EDA’s office was located at 134 W Emma. When that property sold, I assisted them with the purchase of their new office at 813 W Meadow Ave. For reference, it is behind Springdale Flower Shop. The house they purchased was very sad and in desperate need of repairs. They’ve been hard at work on a complete remodel and I stopped by this week to take a look!
Meanwhile…
Downtown Springdale Fall Art Walk | Sat, Sep 27, 5:30pm tix
Springdale Pool Lounge is open in the former James & James space at 111 S Main St
Light the Night Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Tonight at 5:30pm at Luther George Park
Bea & Bleux Grand Opening Oct 3-5 at 117 W Emma Ave
