LCAS Program 4/22/25: The Monarch Butterfly’s Phenomenal Journey

View on YouTube.

The Lane County Audubon Society welcomes back Sue Anderson as she presents information about Monarch Butterflies in a humorous and friendly way, making learning a lot of fun. Last year, Sue taught us the basics of butterfly behavior, habitat, and identification. On April 22 Sue will lead us on an exploration of the amazing Monarch butterflies.

This presentation will explain the Monarch’s life cycle and migration timetable, with details about where they go and how they navigate along their routes. You will learn the history of how Monarch migration and overwintering sites were discovered and see maps showing the range of the mostly distinct Eastern and Western Monarch populations. You will also learn about milkweed, the only food plant that monarch caterpillars can eat. The presentation will also show Monarch population trends and explain current threats to Monarch survival.

Sue Anderson has tagged hundreds of these amazing butterflies with her family and will tell listeners what she has learned. She will also offer suggestions that local citizens can employ to find Monarchs and help them along their way. We will have free Showy Milkweed seeds available, for starting plants that are native to this area.

Sue has loved butterflies ever since she was “knee high to a grasshopper.” Fascinated by all sorts of insects and spiders, she focused on butterflies because “they’re beautifully colored and they don’t bite!” She has led 4th of July Butterfly Counts (similar to Christmas bird counts) for more than 38 years in the Ochoco and Metolius areas of Central Oregon and is now learning her Willamette Valley species. She has also taught Adult Ed classes and led numerous butterfly walks for the Deschutes Land Trust.

Join your friends at the Campbell Center for this fascinating program.  The doors will open at 6:30 for some social time; the program will begin at 7:00. Mark your calendars for April 22, Tuesday. A Zoom link will be available one week before the event. This program will be recorded and posted here a few days later.