Little House Designated As Monarch Way Station

By Sean Howell
Almanac Staff Writer

The Almanac, August 30, 2006

Two planters now sit in the Little House Activity Center garden, containing nectar flowers that the center's volunteer gardeners hope will attract monarch butterflies on their southward migration.

Little House, at 800 Middle Avenue in Menlo Park, is one of five centers in Northern California that have been certified as way stations for monarchs during their fall migration. The certification is by Monarch Watch, a University of Kansas program that promotes research and conservation of the butterflies.

Janet Pierce, director of Little House, said the garden is maintained by a number of Little House members. Volunteer Audrey Hargis planted the garden, and Joanne Merrill, director of the Meals on Wheels program there, waters it.

"We're lucky that so many of the seniors came forward to help," Ms. Pierce said.

Monarchs feed on nectar during the migration, and lay their eggs in milkweeds, which are also in the garden. The butterflies' migratory patterns are being threatened because development and the use of herbicides have cut down on the number of nectar plants in the United States, according to Monarch Watch.

Little House has had only a few monarch butterflies so far, but expects more in late September and October. Large groups of monarchs stay in nearby Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz over the winter months, and many also travel farther south to Mexico.

Sponsored by Peninsula Volunteers, Little House was one of the first senior centers in America when it was founded in 1949; it's now open to people of all ages.

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Peninsula Volunteers, Inc.
800 Middle Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: 650-326-0665
Fax: 650-326-9547