How much expertise does a children’s author need to write about monarch butterflies? In this episode, we find out.It’s a special show for a special day. Our co-host Erin Alladin is launching her second picture book, Wait Like a Seed, and we’re testing just how much research she did….and how much she retained. Wait Like a Seed uses the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed to teach kids the life cycle of a seed, and at the back of the book are nine extra pages of information about both monarchs and milkweed. We know from Episode 6: Milkweed vs. Beardtongue that she knows her stuff on asclepias. But what about Danaus plexxipus? Sean comes in hot with some challenging questions from his young daughter (How do monarchs fly so far?). “How long do monarchs live” is a trick question, but Erin is ready for it. The conversation wings its way through life cycles (egg, larva, pupa, adult), migration (incredible), and the threats they face (numerous). If you’d like to help monarchs in your own garden, community, or region, Erin and Sean tell you how to grow a butterfly garden, join a conservation initiative, and access excellent resources online. For more information about Wait Like a Seed, contact your local bookstore or visit https://pajamapress.ca/book/wait-like-a-seed/. You might also enjoy Erin’s previous picture book, Outside, You Notice: https://pajamapress.ca/book/outside-you-notice/. Find information about Erin’s life as an author, editor, and presenter (she does great nature-based school visits!) at https://erin-alladin.com/. Follow her on social media:TikTok (Gardening account): https://www.tiktok.com/@earthundaunted TikTok (Writing and Editing Account): https://www.tiktok.com/@erinalladinBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/erinalladin.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-alladin/ Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment? Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon. Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHLearn More and Help MonarchsThe Butterflyway Project: https://davidsuzuki.org/take-action/act-locally/butterflyway/ Xerces Society Milkweed Finder: https://www.xerces.org/milkweed/milkweed-seed-finderNorth American Native Plant Society: https://nanps.org/native-plant-societies/Canadian Wildlife Federation Garden Habitat Certification: https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/gardening-for-wildlife/action/get-certified/ The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge: https://www.nwf.org/MayorsMonarchPledge iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ Monarch Joint Venture: https://monarchjointventure.org/Monarch Watch: https://monarchwatch.org/ CitationsHow fast monarchs flyDavis, A. (2017, January 1). How fast does a monarch fly? A close look at the science. monarchscience. https://www.monarchscience.org/single-post/2016/12/31/how-fast-does-a-monarch-fly-a-close-look-at-the-science Monarch migration and daily travel distancesFall Migration - How do they do it? (2022, August 11). Monarch Joint Venture. https://monarchjointventure.org/blog/fall-migration-how-do-they-do-it Monarch Migration. (n.d.). Monarch Watch. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://monarchwatch.org/migration/ The monarch life cycleLife cycle. (2024, September 19). Monarch Joint Venture. https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/life-cycleLivestock eating milkweedMilkweed (Asclepias spp.) : USDA ARS. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/logan-ut/poisonous-plant-research/docs/milkweed-asclepias-spp/What Monarchs do during the WinterMonarch Joint Venture. (2022, May 26). Overwintering. https://monarchjointventure.org/faq/overwinteringThe rumored, presumably false, Lake Superior detourInglis-Arkell, E. (2013, May 24). Butterflies remember a mountain that hasn’t existed for millennia. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/butterflies-remember-a-mountain-that-hasnt-existed-for-509321799Identifying Males vs. FemalesMale and Female Monarch Butterflies: How can you tell? (n.d.). Journey North. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://journeynorth.org/tm/monarch/id_male_female.html Monarchs’ Endangered StatusMonarch butterfly proposed for Endangered Species Act protection | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2024, December 10). FWS.gov. https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2024-12/monarch-butterfly-proposed-endangered-species-act-protection Canada, E. a. C. C. (2025, February 18). Monarch Butterfly: profile of a species at risk. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/factsheets/monarch-butterfly.htmlMonarch. (n.d.). ontario.ca. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.ontario.ca/page/monarch OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), the protozoan parasite that affects monarch butterfliesUniversity of Georgia. (n.d.). What is OE? | monarchhealth. Monarchhealth. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.monarchparasites.org/oe Natural history. (n.d.). Center for Biological Diversity. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/monarch_butterfly/natural_history.html Pupae: They Go RunnyJabr, F. (2024, February 20). How Does a Caterpillar Turn into a Butterfly? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer/ Timestamps00:21 Introducing Erin Alladin, Children's Nonfiction Author03:20 About the Picture Book Wait Like a Seed6:48 Water Break: Contest Announcement7:40 How Can Monarchs Fly for So Long?10:05 Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle, Life Spans, and Migration15:15 How Long and Far Monarchs Fly in a Day17:35 Mass Migration Tangent20:03 Identifying Male and Female Monarchs21:15 Monarch Conservation Status24:15 Threats Faced by Monarchs25:13 Monarchs are Specialist Insects27:32 Cocoon vs. Chrysalis29:01 The Dangers of Tropical Milkweed and OE32:15 Butterfly Metamorphosis35:35 Is it Okay to Rear Butterflies?39:45 Growing a Butterfly Garden42:30 Protecting Butterfly Habitat in the Community44:50 Monarch Predators and Toxicity48:40 Plant Rant: You Don't Need Pesticides51:10 Outro and Contact Us
