Saving Monarch Butterflies in Central Oregon
Monarch butterflies are declining drastically with 80 percent of the population of eastern monarchs lost in the last decade. Central Oregonians can learn how to protect monarch butterflies at two upcoming events in May.
May 10 ~ Tom Landis from the Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates will present "Bringing Monarchs Back to Central Oregon." Oregon is a critical location for western monarch butterflies migrating north after wintering in California. "Creating monarch way stations and pollinator gardens on their flyways is possibly our only hope of protecting this diminishing species," says Landis. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at Sunriver Nature Center's Pozzi Building. Admission is free; reservations can be made at 541-593-4394.
May 12 ~ "Monarchs, Milkweeds –– and YOU" will be held at Bend's Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The symposium will cover habitat restoration and citizen science projects. The four speakers include Landis, Katya Spiecker, founder of Monarch Advocates of Central Oregon, US Forest Service geneticist Matt Horning, and David James, associate professor of entomology at Washington State University. Doors open at 6 p.m. Additional information and reservations are available via Facebook on the page for the Monarch Advocates of Central Oregon.
RSVP: http://bit.ly/1VODauh.
Report Sick or Dead Bats to ODFW
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) activated an online bat reporting website and hotline to prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) recently found in a little brown bat in Washington state. Anyone finding a dead bat or who observes bats flying during the day or during freezing weather should report this to ODFW via its Wildlife Health Hotline at 866-968-2600.
ODFW veterinarian Colin Gillin explains that WNS is a fungal disease occurring in hibernating bats that has killed more than six million bats in the last 10 years. It was first discovered in New York and has now spread to 28 states and five Canadian provinces. Visit whitenosesyndrome.org to learn more. The website to report sick or dead bats is: www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/health_program/WNS/reporting.asp.
