10 Tips for Saving the Monarch Butterfly

October 3, 2019October 4, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh

Saving the Monarch Butterfly | 2019 | Vermont Woods Studios — At Vermont Woods Studios we’re working on saving the Monarch Butterfly. As they leave VT on their annual migration to Mexico we share tips about how you can help monarchs avoid extinction. Hint: it’s all about the milkweed.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Save the Monarchs Tour 2019

May 30, 2019June 20, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on June 20th, 2019 at 11:40 am

Saving the Monarch Butterfly | Vermont Woods Studios — Monarch butterflies are a favorite species here at Vermont Woods Studios. They spend summers in Vermont and then migrate to Mexico for the winter. We’re working to conserve their habitat in both places.

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VWS Monarch Update, 2018

November 1, 2018June 20, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on June 20th, 2019 at 11:46 am

Today is El Dia de los Muertos

I thought today would be a good day to update you on our VWS monarch conservation efforts. Every year, with an uncanny sense of timing, monarch butterflies complete their epic migration and arrive in Mexico on November 1st. Read More

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Are Monarchs Making a Comeback?

August 21, 2018June 20, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on June 20th, 2019 at 11:47 am

Monarchs Making a Comeback | Milkweed | Vermont Woods Studios — Two monarch butterflies taking nectar from the blossoms of a common milkweed plant. Thanks to Martin Langeveld who took this recent photo on Meadow Road in Vernon, VT. Are monarchs making a comeback in your neighborhood?

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We’ll Miss You, Lincoln Brower

July 22, 2018June 20, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on June 20th, 2019 at 11:47 am

The Father of Monarch Research

Save the Monarchs Tour | Lincoln Brower | Jose Luis Alvarez | Peggy Farabaugh — Two years ago, Jose Luis Alvarez and I were inspired by Dr Brower to travel through New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, raising awareness about the plight of the monarchs. We spoke at Harvard, Yale, the Boston Museum of Science, the Philadelphia Zoo and a number of other venues. Our last stop on the “Save the Monarchs Tour” was in Sweet Briar, VA to visit with Dr. Brower. What a pleasure.

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Why a Furniture Store Cares About Trees & Monarchs

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Monarch Conservation at a Sustainable Furniture Store — Today is Arbor Day so I thought we’d share our love of trees with you. We’re planting at least 2 trees for every customer order in an effort to restore the monarch butterfly’s forested winter habitat in Mexico.

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The Hands That Hold the Future

August 21, 2017August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 12:02 pm

Monarch Butterfly Workshop at Nature Camp in Hinesburg, Vermont — Eileen Ashe invited me to teach about monarchs at Nature Camp, sponsored by the United Church of Hinesburg, VT last week. Students made seed balls out of potting soil, clay and water. We put milkweed and flower seeds in each ball and rolled them into sunny meadows where they’ll grow to produce habitat & food for monarchs next year.

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Monarchs Are Rebounding & So Are We

July 28, 2017August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 12:03 pm

Monarchs Rebounding | 2017 | Vermont Woods Studios — We’ve seen dozens of monarchs this year at our Stonehurst showroom in Vernon, Vermont. It’s exciting because last year we saw only a handful. On this World Nature Conservation Day it’s nice to report that things are on the upswing.

It’s Working!

Nature nuts and monarch lovers: your hard work of planting milkweed & nectar flowers is paying off. Butterfly populations seem to be bouncing back this year after decades of decline. It’s too soon to declare victory but many encouraging signs are out there. We’ll have to wait for the official reports from Monarch Joint Venture but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
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We’re a Certified Wildlife Habitat®

July 8, 2017August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 01:45 pm

Certified Wildlife hatitat — The National Wildlife Federation has recognized us in their ‘Garden for Wildlife’ program. Our Stonehurst showroom is on 109 acres of sustainably managed woodlands and meadows which NWF has designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.

Dear Customers, Thank You!

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization. We’re excited to support their work by creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat® as part of their ‘Garden for Wildlife’ program. This achievement is only possible because of the strong support we receive from our wonderful customers and stakeholders.

Fellow Nature Nuts: you can do the same at your home or business! If you have a garden that improves habitat for birds, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife, join the club and get it certified. It’s all about providing your neighborhood wildlife with natural food sources, clean water, cover and places to raise young.
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Monarchs & the Milkweed Symposium

January 26, 2017May 23, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on May 23rd, 2018 at 02:27 pm

Jose Luis Alvarez and conservation of monarch habitat in Mexico — We brought Jose Luis Alvarez to the Milkweed Symposium in Canada so he could teach attendees about the need to reforest monarch habitat in Mexico.

The 1st International Symposium on Milkweed

Last Friday I traveled to Becancour, Quebec with our friend Jose Luis Alvarez for the 1st International Symposium on American Silk (aka milkweed). The symposium was put together by Francois Simard. He’s a textiles engineer who’s developing technologies to use milkweed fibers as a down substitute in winter jackets. Francois is trying to persuade farmers to plant milkweed as a commercial crop in the USA and Canada.

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