Indiana Dunes and Monarchs
Indiana Dunes Blog
Indiana Dunes National Park is 5th in the nation for biodiversity. That’s more than Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the Everglades. Read more about monarchs and other diverse flora and fauna.
To understand how important such a small step can be, we must begin where the monarch begins: with a tiny egg, no bigger than the head of a pin.
The female monarch can carry up to 400 of these precious eggs. She will lay only one or two on a single milkweed leaf, repeating the process over and over again on different leaves.
Monarchs face many dangers on their trip south. And they still face obstacles even after reaching their destination. Overnight temperatures can drop below freezing and snow may even fall during their stay in Mexico. Fortunately, since monarchs are a cold-blooded insect, they don’t require much energy in cold temperatures, and they will eat very little in order to save their food reserves.
Scientists have been busy with this effort to learn more, and researchers are currently tracking monarchs to analyze their behavior. They do this by attaching small tags on their wings with a tag number that can be entered into a website. You, too can participate in a number of citizen scientist opportunities.
The story of the monarch butterfly is one of incredible transformation and epic travel. The monarch’s tale is complex and filled with trials and triumphs.
This video shows how each of us can play a key role in the survival of the incredible monarch. It can be as simple as planting a milkweed seed.
The Indiana Dunes National Park is the fourth most biodiverse national park in the entire country, with over 1,100 flowering plant species across 15,000 acres. Throughout the spring and summer, spectacular wildflowers burst into view across the Dunes region.