Hundreds of butterflies spared in Port Colborne
Nearly 400 monarch butterflies got a new lease on life, thanks to Port Colborne resident Patty Moss.
“I was just out there to count the numbers, but once I see them, I can’t just leave them,” said
Moss. “In total, I collected 370 eggs.”
Moss, a lepidopterology hobbyist, went to city hall earlier this year and urged council to direct staff to delay roadside brush cutting to allow the eggs to come to term. Council agreed and the ditch cutting was delayed on some streets, but certain areas had to be trimmed ahead of Canal Days.
Moss went to one such place, Brookfield Road, where she intended to collect some data on monarch butterfly presence in the area.
But once she saw the hundreds of eggs that lined the roadside, she felt compelled to do something.
Knowing the heavy machinery and cutting blades would make short work of the monarch eggs, Moss harvested nearly 400 in a bid to give the local monarch population a mild boost but also to educate the public.
Moss brought dozens of nearlyhatched cocoons and dozens more fully formed monarchs to the Port Colborne Farmers Market on Friday. People flocked to her exhibit and were dazzled by the numerous monarchs that burst from the cocoons right before their eyes.
Others were delighted when they had the chance to hold a freshly hatched monarch and watch it take flight for the first time from the palm of their hands.
“Some people say, ‘What’s the point? What’s the purpose of these butterflies?’ and I think everything has a purpose, and the purpose of the monarch butterfly is to attract people with their beauty, to make people stop and appreciate the beauty of nature and maybe think about our impact on the environment,” said Moss.