Amera Wild
Friends of Cardinal Valley
Have you ever watched a Monarch butterfly drift past on the breeze? Their orange-and-black wings shine like stained glass in the sunlight, and right now, they’re filling Webb City’s Cardinal Valley Habitat Restoration Area with color and wonder.
Last year, swamp milkweed was planted here with help from volunteers connected to the Missouri Master Naturalist Chert Glades Chapter. Today, the newly formed Friends of Cardinal Valley is delighted to see that hard work pays off. Monarchs are stopping over to sip nectar, lay eggs, and some are even pairing up to create the next generation. Watching these butterflies use the very plants we put in the ground feels like we planted hope itself.
Monarchs are known for one of the greatest migrations on Earth, traveling thousands of miles to Mexico’s Oyamel Fir Forest for the winter. Their journey is peaking in the next two weeks, so this is the perfect time to come visit Cardinal Valley.
Friends of Cardinal Valley is also joining the citizen science effort called Monarch Watch. Volunteers here have already tagged a handful of butterflies, and we’ll try again in mid-September. Each tiny tag is a clue in the story of where these butterflies go and how we can protect them.
Our group is also building our social media presence. Look for Friends of Cardinal Valley on Facebook to learn more and get involved.
If you’d like to celebrate these winged travelers and discover how to help them in your own backyard, don’t miss the Monarch Festival & Native Plant Sale at MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Click here for details.
Bring your curiosity and maybe your camera to Cardinal Valley in the coming days. With a little luck, you’ll catch sight of this fleeting and magnificent migration.
Amera Wild
Friends of Cardinal Valley
