Westmoreland master gardeners take Monarch Migration Celebration online
Penn State Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County’s 2nd annual Monarch Migration Celebration has gone virtual, with seven weeks of activities to help children and their families learn more about monarch butterflies.
The original celebration, held last September, was a single-day live event that drew about 150 participants.
Organizers were hoping to repeat it this year, but changed their plans due to coronavirus.
“We had to kind of call an audible and figure out how to get it done,” said event chair Danielle Cycak. “Luckily, we have a great group of master gardeners.”
The event kicks off Saturday with a 1 p.m. webinar providing information about butterflies, their habitats, and the celebration’s events.
Those interested must register by noon Saturday at extension.psu.edu.
Monarch butterflies migrate every fall from Canada and the Northeastern U.S. to Mexico. Their dramatic journey and unmistakable orange wings make them popular among nature lovers.
“They’ve become kind of an ambassador for all butterflies,” said Mandy Smith, coordinator of Penn State Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County.
The online celebration lasts through Sept. 25. Participants will get access to a private Facebook page with videos, activities and crafts.
Hidden caches with prizes and fun facts about butterflies have been hidden in 10 of the organization’s pollinator gardens throughout Westmoreland County.
The organization encourages participation in a citizen science program through the website iNaturalist, photographing monarchs in their yards to help researchers track the butterfly population.
Cycak said butterflies are a good way to get kids interested in broader topics of nature, gardening, and protecting the environment.
“It’s definitely a project that we want to keep bringing every year,” she said. “Kids like butterflies, it’s an easy subject to get them interested in… It’s very easy to start a little garden in your yard and help the butterflies.”
Cycak said she’d like to return to a live event next fall, but hopes the online programming from this year could serve as a framework for organizations in other counties that want to hold similar events.
“I think this is going to be something to be proud of and build upon,” she said.
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