I can't wait! I watched the video clip and it brought chills to my arms. Remind us again before it is about to air. Butterflutter

How cool is that! I passed the word on. Thank you!

Edna

Thanks for letting us know - I signed up for the email reminders.

Deanna

Thanks for posting this!

pam

Just got an email about this from Monarch Watch (as I'm sure others of you did).

I was surprised to learn that what we will see Tuesday is an edited version of the original movie "Four Wings and a Prayer." I could not find the original version for sale anywhere. Looks like PBS will have to cut 20 to 25 minutes off the original. :(

Film is "based loosely" on the book "Four Wings and a Prayer." Anyone here read it and, if so, what did you think?

KC

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Watch Blog

Yes, I read and have the book "Four Wings and a Prayer". I thought it a good read and part of it controversial and still learned some things from it. I read it when it first came out a few years back.

bumpety.

I can't wait to watch it anyway!

Pam

Good show. Depressing, though.

My next mission will be to winter sow a bagillion containers of milkweed.

Well I guess the question is what will we do with this information?
Yes, plant more milkweed!
Yes, quit spraying chemicals!
What about purchasing trees for the Mexican habitat?
What about funding a trip for middle or high schoolers to go visit the hibernation site?(they're our future)
We have to get the Mexican people that live in that area to stop cutting down trees-they need an alternate source of income to make this happen.
Any ideas?
-B

I've read the book and passed it on...

I haven't seen the show yet.

I have sent money to help purchase more trees...

I am teaching children about the Monarchs.

I am planting Milkweed AND having children plant Milkweed (twice each school year).

I teach teachers about butterflies and give them Milkweed seeds so that they can go out and plant them with THEIR students.

One of my classes was a finalist in an Animal Planet/Discovery Channel contest and we brought more attention to the Monarchs' plight as a result...

I put together a Monarch website to help educate people about Monarchs and have communicated with folks world-wide via email...

I think it is critical that everyone does as much as they can. I know that as one person, I can make a difference. If each person does a little bit, then their little bit can grow exponentially. I have seen it happen within my school, and it starts with my Kindergartners (yes, 5-year olds!!!!).

I hope to watch the Nova special. If I can't watch it tonight, then, I will probably purchase the DVD.

CalSherry aka tdogomom

tdogmom, I did watch it and it was very good!! It did get me a bit riled up though ;-)
You've done quite a bit and I see your name on here a lot either with suggestions or fabulous pictures! Thank you for the suggestions.

My post earlier came off a little cold and I sure didn't mean it that way I was about two steps away from getting tickets to Mexico!!LOL!!
-B

I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the all the tips on what we can do to help. If anyone wants to watch it online tomorrow click the 'Director's Story' link below, scroll down to the bottom right and there will be a box that says "Watch the Program."

The past Nova programs are conveniently split into 8 to 10 min. segments so you don't have to sit and watch the whole program at one sitting if you don't want to.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Directors Story ...

Our local listings have it being aired again in early February...the 5th or something. And it's on several times (again locally) in the middle of the night. So there's other opps to see it and/or tape it.

Did anyone else get perturbed when the host (I'm bad with names) said that losing the Monarchs would be like losing opera or art? We're talking about a fragile living creature here, not art!!!!

My project for this year is to grow lots of milkweed and create a shelter for the Monarchs from the rain.

Pam

No,Pam I didn't get perturbed, simply because of the sincerity of everyone involved and believe it or not there are those that think losing the Mona Lisa would be worse than losing the Monarchs.

I'm just happy to know that there are those that are trying to do something to stabilize the future of these beauties.
And I want to do my part. Tdog, where do you send the money to plant the trees?

NOW, what REALLY makes me mad is the cutting of the forest by ignorant people. First of all they are breaking the law and furthermore if they were given the opportunity to make a honest living I don't think they would.

And what about the people that DO make a living off the butterflies. Do they care about what would happen to them if the butterflies didn't attract tourist and promote the local economy.

And (forgive me for going off) but do they have any respect for the souls of their ancestors? No. So are they any different than any common murderer or thief?

Eye for eye, I say they should be hunted down they same way they hunt the local people down that are trying to enforce the LAW.
I guess I should stop writing now, as I know I have probably offended some of you but I just had to get this off my chest. Butterflutter

Unfortunately, I'm thinking that "law enforcement" as we know it within conservation/fish & game/marine, etc does not exist elsewhere.

And yeah, perturbed on the reference to the Mona Lisa...cuz it's "just" a painting. It's historical, and valuable no doubt, but I think LIVING CREATURES are a tad more important to preserve. If given the choice in a situation that threatened to annihilate the planet, I don't think anyone would worry about where the painting is vs rescuing the last remaining BF on the planet.

It was a fabulous showing. I was in awe and wishing I had that many monarchs in my garden.

As they said on the program, the villagers profit off the tourism. Hopefully that is an incentive for them to fight for the protection of the monarchs.

Did any one look closely for monarchs that may have been tagged? I did *lol*

Edna

I did get to watch it online. I think they did a great job considering. It wouldn't take nurseries much to offer milkweed plants. That is where I started with swamp milkweed and was lucky to find it. I really miss the Monarchs since I moved from Wisconsin to Florida. It was great to sit out in the yard on a cool September afternoon and watch the Monarchs fly and land in the garden. We need awareness of nature to be passed on down to the kids. It would just be one small step, but each one counts.

I thought perhaps this comment posted on the Texas Forum might be of interest:

"Posted by chickenmom 7b/8a, DFW, TX (My Page) on Wed, Jan 28, 09 at 16:13

"... As a child my brother and I "raised" them with milkweed in jars then got to see the chrysalises form and eventually release the butterflies. It was something I will never forget. When I was in elementary school a large group of migrating monarchs stopped for several days in a group of trees along Lake Whitney, near our very small school. The teachers loaded buses up and we got to go see the hundreds and hundreds of butterflies in this group of trees. What a sight! Thanks for the reminder about the program!"

Lake Whitney is located below the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

I found a website that plants trees for monarchs! Is this the same one you used tdogmom? Just wondered if there were others.
I know that most people on this site don't spray pesticides, but there are people that don't understand how spraying their garden affects the rest of us. Is there a nice way to tell them to knock it off? Some government branch to lessen(or stop) widespead spraying?
I'm trying to get the guy that owns the field across from me to stop mowing it but so far no luck :-(
-B

Here is a link that might be useful: trees for monarchs

My husband and I both watched it and learned a few new things from it. It was a reminder when Our children last year treated us a trip to Fl. We eventually started up southwest side of Florida heading north. We stopped by an area[near the Base] and we were overwhelmed with butterflies,apparantly flying thru the area. This was around Oct 2---- Just beautiful. DON'T miss the show.

That's not the site I went to for my donations. I'm sure there are a number of various organizations that are helping the Monarch butterflies. I sent monies to

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Butterfly Habitat Conservation

pk ponder, I invite you to go to the link where the article is about the filming of this amazing migration.
I read it and find your comment lacking.

If these Monarchs ceased to exist, the species would not be lost. There are other populations, some migrate, some do not. But this would be the loss of Millions and millions of insects that have science baffled. They fed-ex them across ten states, and still they 'correct' their flight and end up in the same small area of Mexico's mountains. But then you know all of that.

Perhaps the comparison was incorrect as you feel. I think it was compared to losing the Mona Lisa, which is just some paint on a canvas, after all.

It would have been better if they had compared loosing the monarchs to loosing the dude that painted the Mona Lisa :-)
-B