By Erica C.

Visit the Enchanted Garden to discover the amazing journey of the fall Monarch butterfly migration. Now through the end of September, visitors can enjoy a self-guided StoryWalk© in the HCLS Miller Branch Enchanted Garden. The story, Janey Monarch Seed, written by local author Julie Dunlap, is a tale of a girl who is determined to make a difference for the imperiled Monarch butterflies by planting seeds of milkweeds from Texas to Quebec. 

This story is a lively introduction to monarch biology and ecology that illustrates how our role as active stewards can benefit the natural world we all inhabit. Alongside the tale, sidebars add further details to engage and expand children’s fascination with butterflies and other pollinators. The  StoryWalk© concludes in the Enchanted Garden’s Monarch Waystation, an area of the garden abundant with the caterpillars’ host plant, milkweed. Look closely, as you may find caterpillars munching on leaves or forming their chrysalis. 

The  StoryWalk© Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. This particular StoryWalk© was brought together by Cheryl Farfaras of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area.

Erica C. is in her dream role as the Enchanted Garden Instructor at the Miller Library. When she’s not tending to the garden, you can find her cycling along the C & O Canal, experimenting with new recipes from around the world, or curled up with her coffee and a good read.