"Know the grasses and the trees. Know the worms, and the moths, and the different sorts of ants. Know also the four-footed animals both small and great, the serpents, the fish in the water, and the birds in the air. Know their similarities and their differences so that you may know their families and species and their numbers."
-Sutta-Nipata
Karida members seek opportunities for meditation, opportunities for the creation of beauty, and opportunities for acting in caring and loving ways toward the Earth. (from "living Buddhism" this site)
"Plight of the Monarchs" We encourage everyone to first take the time to view this 22 minute video by Cindy and Kirby Pringle at Dogtown Artworks. It's a beautifully done video that presents the life, the wonder, and the challenges that face Monarchs. This is a great way to become quickly informed ~ please join with us in our journey of "Butterfly Buddhism" and this particular work of compassion.
Our friends at Happy DIY Home have recently published a free, updated and comprehensive guide on how to grow milkweed. Growing milkweed improves butterfly habitat and is truly a compassionate meditation of interconnectedness—providing benefits and blessings for all creatures.
In depth guide to milkweed propagation As always, some effort must be applied in your meditation: be it mindfulness of breathing, or plants. Here is a detailed guide to success in your planting meditations.
Monarch Watch strives to provide the public with information about the biology of monarch butterflies, their spectacular migration, and how to use monarchs to further science education in primary and secondary schools. They engage in research on monarch population dynamics and migration biology in order to better understand how to conserve the monarch migration. They promote protection of monarch habitats throughout North America including maps of appropriate milkweed species for each region.
GrowMilkWeedPlants.com Native milkweed is a beautiful and robust plant. Explore this site and find milkweed that is native for where you are. The diversity in milkweed species may surprise you.
Regional Southwest AZ & NM Facebook page gives up-to-date news on Monarchs in the Southwest.
North American Butterfly Association The mission of NABA is to increase public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies: making butterflies important to a growing number of people and creating a constituency that works to conserve butterflies and their habitats. NABA achieves its goals through promoting education and providing opportunities for the public to experience butterflies outdoors. Join NABA to support these goals.
View a sixteen minute video of volunteers and ongoing research to determine the Southwest migratory habits of Arizona Monarch Butterflies.
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is an organized research unit of the University of Texas at Austin dedicated to preserving and restoring the beauty and biological richness of North America. The Center has become one of the country's most effective advocates for native plants. They maintain vast online collections to help you identify and learn about individual species.
Wings of Enchantment Butterfly Farm, is an organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that raises butterflies in order to bring educational programs and displays to our schools and community and to raise awareness about the importance of butterflies in our environment.
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. For over forty years, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.
Starting Desert Milkweeds From Seed is a video that shows an easy way to start milkweed seeds that do not require cold stratification. In particular this process works for Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), Arizona Milkweed (Asclepias angustifolia) and Pineleaf Milkweed (Asclepias linaria).
Dave's Garden is an informational website where a large, international community of gardeners can learn from each other and find resources offered by the gardening industry. It is an excellent source of information about milkweed.
Important milkweed species check is a county by county information atlas provided by the Biota of North America Program (BONAP). We encourage you to only plant milkweed species that are native to your area as indicated on this North American Plant Atlas.