The Butterfly Lady of Inverary

Oct 21, 2020

Over a year has passed since Susan Sutherland of Loughborough Lake, became affectionately known as 'The Butterfly lady of Inverary', after word of her beautiful Monarch hatching habitats spread throughout the South Frontenac region. Her bountiful “Monarch mansions’ first captured the attention of inquisitive neighbours and fellow conservationists across Ontario, after an article was published in the Frontenac News on August 22, 2019 depicting her preservation efforts. An increase in sightings of these miraculous orange and black insects were reported around the lake, thanks to Susan and many others who have since created pollinator-friendly gardens and safe egg hatching havens of their own. From July-Sept 2019, Susan impressively released 155 monarchs, which has lead to a vast following of inspired individuals along the Monarch’s migratory path into Mexico. Among the dozen’s of inquiries and requests to visit ‘The Butterfly Lady’s” home, were Loughborough Public school teachers and teacher’s in the Toronto area, wanting more information and hoping to collect eggs, caterpillar’s and chrysalis for their classrooms. As a result, Susan created and educational outreach program with an interpretive slideshow and an interactive portable habitat for students to see each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle up close.

Causes for Decline

Among the many environmental factors leading to the rapid decline in the Monarch’s population, is deforestation and loss of their essential habitat, the use of herbicides and pesticides, an increase in extreme weather and natural disasters due to global warning effects and most importantly, the dwindling wild milkweed populace. A female Monarch will lay approximately 300-500 eggs during her two-week lifespan, but only one out of one-hundred eggs are likely to hatch in the wilderness due to a high number of natural predators. Even then, only 10% of the tiny eggs that hatch into caterpillars will survive to become an adult butterfly, which emphasizes the importance of creating a protected area for the eggs to hatch like Susan’s enclosed habitats.

What are the Consequences of the Decline?

Butterflies, along with other important pollinating insects such as honeybees, are an essential part of the natural food chain; they help to create and sustain healthy ecosystems that are critical for sustaining human life on earth. Simply put, without pollinators, no life forms on earth will survive.

What Can I Do To Help?

Local efforts to re-populate pollinators have amplified, thanks to outreach programs such as Susan’s; but hundreds of thousands of people are required to join-in and start planting in order to make a difference for the butterflies and bees. Milkweeds and nectar plants are the staple food for these insects, which can grow in even the smallest gardens and yards, in both urban and rural areas. Other ways to help include purchasing your own Monarch hatching kit and bee houses, and by stop using harmful herbicides and pesticides in your gardens and yard. To find out more, visit https://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/saving-monarchs.com. The survival of these life-sustaining species is in our hands. Please help “spread the word of the wings” by raising awareness.