Westeren Monarch Day

SACRAMENTO, CA—State Senator Bruce McPherson announced today the Legislative Declaration of every February 5^thas California Western Monarch Day. The effort was supported by over a dozen legislators on a bipartisan basis.

The Western Monarch Butterfly, with its beautifully familiar black and orange markings on its body and wings, is a delight for people of all ages to observe and study. Ranging in size, the Western Monarch Butterfly is a highly visible addition to California's natural heritage.

Each spring, the Western Monarch flies north as the milkweed plants come into bloom. Returning in the fall, the tens of thousands of Western Monarchs over-winter along the California Coast in state parks such as Pismo Beach State Park, clinging in huge clusters to the foliage of trees and shrubs. During this peak migratory season, thousands of visitors to the California Monarch Butterfly habitats commonly report seeing entire trees covered with thousands of spectacular butterflies.

“These uniquely beautiful creatures benefit our communities both economically through increased tourism and by educating our school children,” said Senator McPherson. “They help us and we need to do all we can to help restore and preserve their habitats.”

It is on February 5^th that a high concentration of Western Monarch Butterflies have arrived from as far north as Canada to over-winter for a six months season in the warmth and protection of the California coast.

Sheila Boone, direct descendant of Daniel Boone and tireless advocate for butterfly preservation, sponsored the resolution and thanked Senator McPherson for his efforts to raise public awareness saying, “This is a special recognition to the millions of school children all across the U.S. who celebrate the annual return migrations of the Western Monarch butterflies in classrooms and school assemblies each year.”

“This special day also gives visitors a new awareness of the heritage of California's major agricultural centers; wineries, orchid and flower growers and the large number of world class public and private botanical gardens which bloom all year around in California.”

A Public Thank You to California Senator Bruce McPherson and all of California's Legislative Support

Thank you to CA Senator, Bruce McPherson for introducing the "California Western Monarch Day Bill/SCR 66 and to all the California Assemblymen & women and Senators who gave their unanimous support to the California Western Monarch Day. Senator, Bruce McPherson is an example of a truly responsive servant to the people of California and our unique environment ". The bill is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Western monarch butterflies major regular over-wintering habitats on CA coast and to educators & students in California and across the US who study and annually celebrate the western monarch butterfly migrations.

Sheila Boone proposed and sent a draft of the Resolution for a California Western Monarch Day to California Legislative Director, James Jack on November 20, 2003. The bill was Introduced by California Senator, Bruce McPherson. Orange and LA County legislators were the first to sign the letter of co-author request for the California Western Monarch Day Bill SCR 66 ; Assemblyman, Ken Maddox, Costa Mesa, Senator, Debra Bowen, Redondo Beach, and Assemblywoman, Patricia Bates, Laguna Nigel, California. A very special thank you to Mari Lane.

See " Free As A Butterfly NEWS " on our website http://www.butterflypalace.org . Donations of the " Free As A Butterfly" Western Monarch Butterfly Awareness Program & Enviro-Paks are gifted to libraries, schools, military family support & assistance services, hospitals, clubs and other organizations. The emphasis of the program is awareness of the world's only Western Monarch butterflies endangered major regular over-wintering habitats on the California coast; and a beginning concept of "freedom" through which it is easy for children to understand by seeing a beautiful Monarch butterfly in-flight. The program encourages everyone to visit a California habitat. The Enviro- Paks feature a" Free As a Butterfly " Story Coloring book, CD by Sheila Boone, posters, Activity & Malinda Martha Meets Mariposa books and other educ materials by talented children's book author Marcia Trimble, Images Press.

Please contact us at 805-929-0887 to learn how you can help to bring attention to this vital legislation and recognition to everyone; especially to the thousands of children involved in school butterfly science programs, urban gardening, butterfly & flower pollination gardening. They are " Monarch Hero's " gathering and planting milkweed seeds to plant in gardens all over California. Please see Western Monarch Decline on our home page at http://www.butterflypalace.org .