Decorah RAGBRAI riders will be asked to help out monarch butterflies

Milkweed plants at Luther's community garden

An Iowa group called "Milkweed Matters" is setting up a booth at eight RAGBRAI locations this year--including Decorah--in hopes of getting help in saving Monarch butterflies.

Milkweed Matters will be setting up a booth along Pole LIne Road near the Luther Farm, just west of Highway 52, from 7:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Friday. 

Luther College biology professor Kirk Larsen says the nearby community garden has several types of milkweed growing in it, which will be open for RAGBRAI riders to view.  They can also pick up a milkweed seed ball.  "Milkweed Matters" has coordinated a statewide volunteer effort that resulted in production of over 50,000 of these seed balls this year.

The hope is that bike riders will return to their homes across Iowa and the rest of the country and plant the seeds.  There are a lot fewer milkweed plants in the Midwest than there used to be, in part because of the spread of suburban housing, in part because of the use of farm chemicals and in part because of other reasons.  Monarch caterpillars can eat nothing but milkweed, so the plant is crucial to the survival of the butterflies.

Luther College biology students and other volunteers will help staff the booth on Friday near the Luther Farm.