Join Us for the Keeseville Butterfly Festival – Protecting Monarchs and Pollinators as a Community!

Dear Town of AuSable Residents,

Have you ever watched a monarch butterfly glide past on a sunny afternoon and felt a little wonder? These beautiful insects, along with other pollinators, play a vital role in our environment—and right here in our community, we have a chance to celebrate and protect them.

We’re excited to invite you to the Keeseville Butterfly Festival on Friday, August 28, from 6pm to 8pm at the Keeseville Tennis Courts across from the Civic Center. This event is dedicated to protecting monarchs and other pollinators as a community. Whether you’re a longtime nature lover or simply curious, this festival is a perfect opportunity for families, neighbors, and friends to come together, learn, and take action.

Why Butterflies Matter

Butterflies are important pollinators that help flowering plants reproduce. They also serve as indicators of a healthy environment—when butterfly numbers decline, it can signal trouble for the broader ecosystem. And of course, they’re simply beautiful!

Challenges Facing Monarchs

Monarchs face serious threats, including:

• Loss of milkweed (the only plant their caterpillars can eat)
• Loss of native wildflower habitat
• Chemicals that kill weeds and also remove plants butterflies need
• Climate change and extreme weather
• Habitat destruction along their migration routes

The iconic monarch migration route stretches across North America, and protecting the plants and spaces they rely on starts right in our own backyards and community spaces.

How You Can Help

One of the best things we can do is plant a pollinator garden. These gardens provide nectar for adult butterflies and host plants where caterpillars can grow. Look for plants such as:

• Milkweed
• Butterfly weed
• Purple coneflower
• Black-eyed Susans
• Asters
• Goldenrod

The importance of milkweed for monarchs cannot be overstated: Females lay eggs only on milkweed, caterpillars feed exclusively on it, and the plant’s special chemicals help make monarchs taste bad to predators.

The Magical Monarch Life Cycle

Monarchs undergo complete metamorphosis—a true transformation:

• Egg: Tiny cream-colored eggs laid on milkweed leaves, hatching in 3–5 days
• Larva (Caterpillar): Five growth stages; feeds only on milkweed and can grow over 2,000 times its original size
• Pupa (Chrysalis): Bright green with gold spots; the transformation lasts 8–15 days
• Butterfly: Emerges with soft wings, pumps fluid into them, then flies off to find flowers and begin the cycle again

Make a Difference, One Garden at a Time

Together, we can help ensure that future generations experience the wonder of monarchs and other butterflies in the wild. As the festival message reminds us: Discover how you can make a difference—one garden, one flower, one butterfly at a time.

Special thanks go to our wonderful educator and presenter, Greg Gaul, as well as to AmeriCU, the Knights of Columbus, the Town of Chesterfield, and the Town of Ausable for their generous support in making this event possible.

Mark your calendars and plan to join your neighbors at the Keeseville Butterfly Festival on Friday, August 28, 6pm–8pm at the Keeseville Tennis Courts across from the Civic Center. Come learn, be inspired, and leave ready to support these essential pollinators right here in the Town of Ausable.

We can’t wait to see you there—let’s protect monarchs and other pollinators as a community!

With appreciation,
-Tim

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