The Butterfly Musketeers

14/03/2026

Very Inspiring 🧡🌱🦋🧡🌱

There are people in California who remember driving through certain valleys in October and having to pull over just to take it in.
Monarch butterflies by the millions, moving south. Filling trees in coastal groves so densely the branches sagged. The air shimmering with orange wings. People who saw it describe it as one of those experiences that makes you feel genuinely lucky to be alive on a planet where something like that exists.
Recent winter population counts for western monarchs have come in around 20,000 to 30,000 individuals. That's not a typo. From millions to tens of thousands — a collapse of roughly 99% within living memory.
The causes are the same ones driving declines across the insect world: habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate disruption. But for monarchs specifically, the destruction of milkweed has been devastating in a very direct way. Milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat. It's not a preference or a tendency. It's a biological requirement. No milkweed means no caterpillars means no next generation. Decades of herbicide use in agricultural areas eliminated milkweed from millions of acres that monarchs once moved through.
California's response is the largest monarch recovery initiative the western United States has ever seen: 15 million milkweed plants, to be established along a single connected migration corridor by 2030.
The corridor design is the key detail. Scattered patches of milkweed help but they don't solve the core problem, which is fragmentation. A butterfly navigating hundreds of miles of migration needs reliable habitat at regular intervals. Break that chain too many times and the journey becomes impossible. The goal here is to rebuild a continuous route — to stitch back together what was severed.
Conservation scientists are careful with optimism when species have fallen this far. But 15 million plants along one corridor is the kind of commitment that says: we believe there is still time. We believe this population can recover if we give it something to come back to.
The monarchs that remain are still making the journey. California is trying to make sure it's worth completing.

10/03/2026

A few weeks ago I was looking through my old butterfly photos from school visits and thinking how amazing it would be to go back for a day. Two days later I received an email and it was a big YES.

A Day in the Dirt – Digging into the Secret Life of Plants and Insects! 🐝🐞🦋🐜🪲🦟

The whole school, including the teachers, made such a wonderful effort to dress up. As soon as I arrived the atmosphere was vibrant, colourful and full of excitement. The children were so polite, curious and eager to learn. I loved every minute of it. After a 4 1/2 year hiatus from school talks, it all came flooding back. Nothing quite like delivering six talks in one day, something I had never done before and didn’t think I could! 😂

I went back to share knowledge about the beautiful Monarch Butterfly, which is currently in serious decline in New Zealand. By helping children understand how they can support monarch habitats, we can all play a part in boosting their population.

I’m hoping to return again in Term 4 for a couple of one-off school visits. 🦋

17/02/2026

I was going through some photos online, they must be from over nine years ago.

Looking at these angelic images of my children made me feel sad, seeing how grown up they are now. It took me back to such a special time in our lives — when we were raising monarch butterflies at home in our garden. It feels like a distant memory now, a reminder that nothing ever stays the same… just like nature — always changing, always evolving.

I absolutely loved this season of my life. It was all about community and creating connections. Even though I was incredibly busy and worked so hard, it was all so worth it. I was deeply passionate about butterflies and about my children. They came on tour with me, spoke at schools, went TV, in magazines. They also helped behind the scenes squishing aphids daily, counted caterpillars, and helped me grow thousands of swan plants & flowers from seed. It was a shared mission.

This was such an important and extraordinary, transformational time for me. I will never forget the memories of meeting so many lovely people around the country whilst I was teaching and speaking on behalf of the monarch butterflies. I still do talks, but just a few which still ignite my heart and love speaking inspiring others!

I’m very much still connected to nature every day. My garden is full of butterflies, birds, and bees that feed off the nectar from all my flowers. Nothing stays still, gardens change, seasons turn, children grow, passions evolve. But the thread running through it all is that we are all connected to nature.

I wish I could share more photos of caterpillars and butterflies, but I have been inundated by wasps for the second year running, and it breaks my heart to see my caterpillars disappear. Instead, my swan plants have flourished, flowered, and been home to many insects.

Anyway just wanted to say hi and let you all know Im very much alive and I hope your still passionate about the monarch butterflies and helping in any way you can boosting their survival.

08/01/2026

Happy new year to you all. 🎉✨

Hope you’re having a lovely summer. 🌺 ☀️

This season has been quite average, I first noticed butterflies laying eggs in Sept and got extremely excited but the eggs never eventuated due to wasps or ants eating them. 🦋

On the positive note this is the biggest swan plant I’ve ever grown. It’s right next to my window so I get to see so many bees and monarchs feasting on the swan plant flowers all day long. Plus lots of seed pods and heaps of ladybugs. 🐞 Ive now pulled the leaves off with the eggs on and placed in a take away container with a damp paper towel that I spray regularly. Then will move to safer area where wasps wont find them. 🤞🏼

I have about 10 caterpillars 🐛 in my glasshouse this year I’m not complaining that a monarch has snuck in and laid eggs on my new plants.

Couldn’t help but also share my Pedro flower that opener today only lasts less than 2 days and smells divine.

09/12/2025

The ideal gift for any garden lover, school teacher, or monarch lover.

23/10/2025

Felt so good to be speaking at my first garden club of the season last Monday. Tai Tapu club were a delight to speak to & loved that someone came up to me and told me I be a brilliant natural comedian. 😂🤷🏼‍♀️

“I wanted to follow up and say a heartfelt thank you for speaking to our club yesterday. Your enthusiasm was absolutely infectious—we all left feeling inspired to do more for the monarchs in our own gardens and community”. Thank you for your feedback Lynn this is why I do what I do! 🙏🧡

01/10/2025

Thank you, thank you for all your endless work there will be no one like you. Was only telling a friend a couple of days ago what an amazing dedicated person you are, speaking and caring on behalf of the animals you were pure love, the kindest human.

This was a proud moment getting to meet a world icon (primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace) that has done so much to change mother earth and educate the people all round the world - breaking the hearts of scientist with her own observations and dedication. Was such an inspiring, amazing night listening to such a humble hardworking lady thats given up her whole life following her passion for the Chimps! I gave her my book "just in case" she liked Monarch's or could give to someone she knew. Jane was so excited and told me she wore a Monarch scarf to her previous show in Wellington. I got to listen to Jane twice in Christchurch we were so blessed to have you what an absolute honour to listen to your life and that work that still needs to be done here to protect animals.

Now you can finally rest in peace amoung all your favourite animals that adore you. 🧡🙏

15/09/2025

I’ve had a bit of a rebirth—and this spring/summer, I’m ready to spread my wings again.

I'll be continuing to speak at garden clubs and other community groups as an inspirational guest speaker.

It’s a joy to share my passion for the incredible transformation of the monarch butterfly. Their journey is not only a wonder of nature but also a powerful symbol of change, resilience, and renewal.

I also love inspiring others to reconnect with the natural world. Supporting the survival of monarchs, and deepening our connection to the environment, has a profound impact on our mental and emotional well-being.

11/05/2025

Our NZ monarch butterflies are starting to overwinter in our local parks have you been yet?

11/05/2025

Overwintering Sites NZ 2025

Every Mothers Day as a tradition we go to a few parks as a family and get to experience hundreds of Monarchs. Here's a few photos from today, at one of my favourites - Woodham Park in Linwood.

Please share this list with your friends & whānau so they can visit these wonderful parks & witness the phenomenon of 100's monarch butterflies in the trees.

There are a few parks below that are “way stations” for the Monarchs. This means the monarchs will only be at the parks until the trees lose their leaves before heading to sheltered trees during the colder winter months. 🦋🌲

Please let me know any places that aren't on this list, go on a nice sunny day where you see them flying around above you. I know there are so many undiscovered sites on golf courses and private land, so look up and around and your might surprise yourself.

📍Burnside Park – In line with the tennis courts
📍St James’ Park - Papanui (pending)
📍Risingholme Park - Opawa
📍Abberley Park, St Albans
📍Pioneer Recreation Centre
📍Redwood Park – Swamp Cypress tree
📍Woodham Park – Linwood
📍Bishopdale Park - Gum trees around the Flying Fox
📍Victoria Park - Rangiora
📍Larch Reserve – Casebrook
📍Grampian Reserve – Casebrook
📍Ernle Clarke Reserve - Somerfield
📍Kaiapoi Domain Cypress trees
📍Denton Park – Hornby - Gum trees.
📍Englefield Park - NorthWood Willow trees
📍Liffey Domain - Lincoln – Gum trees
📍Liffey Place - Lincoln - Gum trees
📍Petrie Park – Richmond - Swamp Cypress tree
📍All Saints Church - Prebbleton - Oak & Ash trees
📍St Andrews Church - Strowan - Lawson Cypress tree
📍Cypress Garden Reserve - Bromley Eucalyptus trees
📍Dunbar Reserve - Westlake area Halswell - Silver Birch tree
South Canterbury
📍Temuka Recreation Reserve – Temuka
📍Aigantighe Art Gallery in the Himalayan cedar tree Timaru
📍Ashbury Park – Timaru in the broadleaf tree
📍Temuka golf course in the Macrocarpa trees
📍Timaru Botanic Gardens in the Tasmanian Blackwood tree
📍West End Park – Timaru in the Conifers
📍Awamoa Park - Oamaru in the Gum trees
Palmerston North
📍Apollo Park – on Apollo Parade, Milson, they are on about 8 willows trees
Nelson
📍Isel Park
📍Washbourn Gardens – Redwood trees.
Whanganui
📍St Johns Hill Area.
Taranaki
📍Hawera – King Edward Park, Macrocarpa trees.
Levin
📍Kimberly Park Reserve – Conifer trees
📍Thompson House Park
Whakatane
📍Warren Park – Japanese Swamp Tree
Auckland
📍Jellicoe Park, Onehunga (pending…later in the season).
📍Blockhouse Bay Recreation Reserve Butterfly Habitat

03/03/2025

Following on from my previous post tonight about my lack of caterpillars - here's a link to my website that I wrote a couple of years ago, and why there's less Monarchs butterflies in our skies.

Click the link to learn more information about wasps and other predators that are a threat to Monarch butterflies.

03/03/2025

I’ve hardly posted on here purely because I’ve had no photos to share, I’ve had the worse season ever.

I’ve had many eggs on my freshly grown swan plants but unfortunately after a few days of hatching the caterpillars disappear, last week when I went to check on my plants in the glass house I saw a paper wasp fly away taking a tiny caterpillar up through the open window of the glasshouse. This was heartbreaking to witness. Same for my neighbours who have giant plants that have been untouched this season.

There are some parts of Christchurch that are having an ok season, which gives me hope and the people that I speak to are loving the experience of raising the monarchs as its giving them so much joy.

I have seen far less monarchs this season flying around in the skies. Now is the time to put your swan plants outside for the butterflies who will lay eggs on them and these caterpillars become the butterflies that will overwinter in our parks.

Photos below are from a garden near from my sons school.

Hope your season has been better than mine!!!