monarch

Help gather Milkweed seeds: Fall 2026

Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!

The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.

SoWBA photo

Help gather Milkweed seeds: Fall 2025!

Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!

The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.

SoWBA photo

Patience on the Prairie

Patience on the Prairie

Remember those monarchs? They were nectaring on meadow blazing star, a lovely native species of blazing star (also known by its genus, Liatris). Of all the blooming plants at this point in the season, meadow blazing star has the reputation of being the monarchs' favorite and a most important source of energy as the flight generation of monarchs emerges. All native blazing stars offer these critical food resources, so SoWBA and its partners work hard to ensure their prairies include Liatris species.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Help gather Milkweed seeds: Fall 2023!

Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Madison Audubon and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!

The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.

Madison Audubon photo

Help gather Milkweed seeds this fall!

Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Madison Audubon and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!

The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.

Madison Audubon photo