Annual Fund Raiser: details:

Date and Time: April 18th   5:30-8pm

Place:

Eschweiler Ballroom, 9810 Echelon Lane, Wauwatosa WI 53226

Parking: Along Discovery Parkway, the lot at 9480 W Watertown Plank Rd (shuttles will be available to the event)

What: Food, Beer, Wine, Silent Auction Items, Items for Sale, a “Wine Pull” and “50/50” raffle as well as a short presentation about our current projects.

Our Annual Fundraiser is a way to celebrate Earth Day and is our big opportunity to raise the funds needed to continue with our mission. These funds help us manage, improve and expand the existing monarch areas and help us to promote and educate the community.

All are welcome-

Plant Sale: Details:

Date and Time: Sunday June 3rd   Noon- 3 pm

Place: County Parks Dept. 9480 W Watertown Plank Rd Wauwatosa. (Enter off Discovery Parkway)

What: Milkweeds and essential native plants for sale-help the monarch butterfly and pollinators by growing milkweeds in your yard of wherever you have a place to plant! We will have a great variety of milkweeds again this year; Common, Swamp, Sullivants, Butterfly milkweed, and even Poke milkweed for shade. And more: also available will be the late blooming nectar sources for the migration and some of the beautiful summer flowers that help sustain our pollinators. A popular item at our plant sale: the combo bags: “Caterpillar Care Package”, “Migration Survival Pack”. This years we’ll also have “Butterfly Garden-in-a-Flat” among other new combinations. Prices range from $2-$3 for plugs to $39.95 for bag combos.

Planting Party: Details:

Date and Time:  Sunday, June 24 Noon-3pm

Place: 12326 W Watertown Plank Rd. (Parking lot of Barb and Dick’s)

What: This year, we’re going to get our hands full of dirt by planting seedlings into flats for next year’s planting projects. The location (barb and dicks) provides a chance to cool off if needed and restroom facilities.  We hope to bring in other organizations to teach kids how this is done. Great fun!

New This Year!  Milkweed Seminar: Details:

Date and Time: Saturday July 14th 2pm

Place: Eschweiler Ballroom, 9810 Echelon Lane, Wauwatosa

What: Monarchs Need Milkweeds!

Milkweeds are the only larval food plants for our imperiled monarch butterfly. Join the Friends of the Monarch Trail for a special presentation on milkweeds and an update on the status of the monarch butterfly, followed by a tour of the Monarch Trail.

Jim Price, a co-founder of the Monarch Trail Advisory Committee and longtime milkweed propagator, will present a seminar on the many milkweed species available for monarch enthusiasts to plant in Wisconsin, including their needs, habits and life cycles. Jim has for many years provided milkweed for planting on the Monarch Trail grounds as well as for our annual plant sale.

Special guest Dr. Karen Oberhauser, director of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison, will present an update on her ongoing work with Monarch Joint Venture, which she co-chairs, and of the status of monarchs in general. A Wisconsin native, Karen founded The Monarch Lab as a professor at the University of Minnesota and created the Monarchs in the Classroom curriculum. She is recognized among the top monarch research scientists in North America.

After a short break for refreshments, Barb Agnew, founder of the Monarch Trail, will direct trail tour groups after the seminar, with the help of Jim and other knowledgeable guides.

Age 14 and up:

$20 adult admission

Migration Celebration Details:

Date and Time: Sunday August 26th 4pm-7:30

Place: Echelon Commons: 9810 Echelon lane, Wauwatosa

Parking: Discovery Parkway, County Parks lot, 9480 Watertown Plank Rd (shuttles available)

What: This year our Celebration also falls on the full moon!  (moon rise at 7pm) We’ll have food and beverages provided by Milwaukee County Parks Beer Tent, entertainment, displays with caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies and moths, and we can all watch the moon come up over County Grounds Park.