30 Spirit Fall 2020 Edition
make a few bucks, but in the end, it’s our environment that is richer.” The conservation program is modeled after milkweed collections from World War II. “People picked milkweed pods, put them in onion sacks and shipped them to a processing facility where they would make life jackets in Michigan,” Dekleva said. “Two bags save one life” was the motto of the day because two bags of milkweed made one life jacket for a serviceman. Normally, the pod picking window is about four to six weeks starting in September when the seeds have turned brown in a freshly picked pod. Because of unseasonably cold weather in early September, the harvest will probably be shorter this year because the pods will open sooner. Wood provides empty onion bags to her group and collects the full bags. “We are considering a competition between the parents and kids as to who can pick the most.” Wood said. “We have a pretty competitive group, so it could get crazy here.” Community Conservation Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Some community programs collect over 80,000 pounds of milkweed pods in one season. “As the Community Conservation programs age, milkweed becomes more prevalent, so each year, they are able to bring in more pods.” Dekleva said. “People actively plant and protect milkweed in these areas, because it helps them and the monarch migration.” -Job Vigil programs are hosted in Michigan, Minnesota,
MAYWOOD —The sophomore class of Maywood High School found a way to turn a renewable, natural resource of milkweed into money. Local resident Annette Wood spearheaded the first Community Conservation wild milkweed collection effort in the area for Sustainable Monarch, a nonprofit in North Platte. “I was looking for a fundraiser for our daughter’s sophomore class when Debbie (Dekleva) approached me about the Community Conservation “Instead of pushing cookie dough or other items for people to buy, we have whole families getting out into nature and picking milkweed pods.” Debbie Dekleva is the founder of Sustainable Monarch, which aims to preserve monarch butterfly habitat. program through her nonprofit.” said Wood. “Monarch butterflies need milkweed, the caterpillar’s sole food source, along their migration route from Mexico to Canada,” Dekleva said. “The loss of habitat across the United States has created a need for local milkweed seed to restore the landscapes. We help communities work with nature and make money at the same time.” The Maywood students had collected over 1,400 pounds by mid-October. “Our class is always looking for ways to raise money,” said Alexis Wood, sophomore class vice president. “We probably could have done a raffle or sold something and made as much money with fewer man-hours, but it’s not always about that. My parents have always taught me that you should leave a place better than you found it. That is our class’s mission with this fundraiser. We get to
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION THAT PAYS
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