From mitigation to monarchs: a rain garden experience

October 07, 2022| Environment

By: Sara Buonomo

Back in 2020, the Buonomo household set out to participate in the Rain Garden Program hosted by the Lake Hopatcong Commission, Lake Hopatcong Foundation, and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program. Our goals were simple: mitigate surface runoff from our property to help protect Lake Hopatcong’s water quality and address drainage issues in our backyard.

After a seamless process and plenty of insightful expertise from the Rutgers Team, we had a beautiful rain garden filled with native plants. Mission accomplished. We could kick back and enjoy the beautiful scenery in our backyard. Little did we know this was the start to what has quickly become an amazing new hobby…

Fast forward to early summer 2021. While out tending to the red-twigged dogwoods, I noticed a new addition to our rain garden hanging around on our swamp milkweed: a little monarch caterpillar. My husband and I spent the next few weeks observing our new visitor (whom we named Hank). He happily munched away at our milkweed leaves and, once he grew big enough, left our garden to chrysalis. We were happy, but at the same time wished we could’ve seen Hank make it to his ‘coronation’ to become Henry – a beautiful monarch butterfly.

This season we were determined to view the cycle - start to finish. After purchasing a well-reviewed and highly-rated enclosure, we kept an eye on the garden. All in all, the Buonomo rain garden became home to eight caterpillars over the 2022 summer season, all of whom found a home in our enclosure once they grew large enough. With some fresh milkweed stems cut from our garden, the enclosure kept our eight monarchs-to-be safe and sound. We were fortunate enough to witness them all chrysalis and emerge as butterflies.

When we installed the rain garden, we had no idea it would lead to raising monarchs! Since monarch populations are sadly at risk due to climate change and habitat loss, it’s been such an amazing and unexpected benefit to be able to help raise a few in our backyard.

We hope you enjoy this time-lapse video we snapped of one of our monarchs emerging and join us in installing your own rain garden!

Monarch Butterfly from Peetipablo on Vimeo.