Every year, Darke County Parks naturalist staff takes part in the Monarch Watch Tagging Program. This program is a large-scale community science project that was initiated in 1992 to help understand the dynamics of the monarch's spectacular fall migration through mark and recapture.

According to Monarch Watch, tagging helps answer questions about the origins of monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of the migration, mortality during the migration, and changes in geographic distribution. It also shows that the probability of reaching Mexico is related to geographic location, size of the butterfly, and the date (particularly as this relates to the migration window for a given location).

Last year, over 30 monarchs were tagged and released by Darke County Parks. Some of these were caterpillars that were brought in by members of the community that didn’t have adequate milkweed supply, while others were adults that were caught with butterfly nets and tagged. During two programs last year, “Monarch Tagging” and “March for Monarchs”, attendees were able to tag and release butterflies with the assistance of naturalist staff.

After being tagged and released, monarch butterflies will travel from their summer breeding grounds, over 2,000 miles to their overwintering locations. Members of Monarch Watch visit the overwintering locations, where they purchase the tags from the guides and community members. These recovered tags are then entered into the Monarch Watch database.

Darke County Parks was pleased to discover that one of the monarchs that they tagged last year was recovered in Mexico. Released on September 18th, this female monarch traveled 2,100 miles to El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve. This sanctuary is the winter nesting grounds for millions of monarch butterflies that migrate from the U.S. each year.

Naturalist Megan Hammaker expressed, “I think the coolest thing about this recovery is that it was tagged and released at one of our programs, so someone that attended that day tagged her. I hope that this news has a lasting impression on them and that they become monarch advocates for life.”

For more information about monarch conservation and tagging, visit https://monarchwatch.org/tagging/

DCP would also like to remind everyone to plant milkweed, the host plant of the Monarch butterfly. Milkweed and other native plants will be available to buy at the Native Plant sale on June 4th from 10am-4pm at the Bish Discovery Center.

For more information regarding the plant sale, contact the Nature Center

at 937-548-0165.

The public is invited to the unveiling of a new bronze Tecumseh statue at Shawnee Prairie Nature Preserve on June 17th, 2022. The unveiling ceremony will begin at 12:00 pm with the telling of Tecumseh’s story and words shared by several special guests.

This reveal will be held in conjunction with the Darke County Park District’s 50th anniversary celebration and will be part of the newly formed Darke County Public Art Trail Initiative. Invited dignitaries include representatives of each of the three Shawnee Tribes, the office of the Governor and Lt. Governor, State and Federal Senators, State Representatives, District Park Commissioners, and local dignitaries.

Darke County Center for the Arts (DCCA) started the plans for the Tecumseh statue and the Darke County Public Art Trail as part of their initiative to showcase public artworks available to Darke County Residents. Funds of $40,000 for the project were secured through Senator Matt Huffman's office from the Ohio Capital Budget, with hopes that additional funding will be granted for future installations throughout the county. Joshua Shepherd, who created the Little Turtle statue in the Greenville City Park, is also the artist behind the Tecumseh statue.

Standing about 6 feet tall, the statue will make its permanent home near the Shawnee Nature Center building, marking land that was once inhabited by the Shawnee Tribes. A platform will be laid around the statue, allowing visitors to see the artwork up close and have the opportunity to take photos. Members of the Shawnee Tribes will be treated to a traditional Native American meal, given a tour of the preserve, and invited to use the Anthony Wayne Peace House for Council.

The Tecumseh Statue marks just one stop on the Darke County Art Trail. Additional stops will be highlighted throughout the county and maps will soon be available. An additional request for funding has been proposed for the Capital Budget to add more stops along the trail.

DCCA along with the Darke County Parks Disctrict encourage everyone to come take part in this exciting event. Seating will be available for spectators. Please follow signs for parking. A shuttle will be available to transport guests to and from the overflow parking area.

More information about the Darke County Public Art Trail will be available on the DCCA website, www.darkecountyarts.org/art-trail.

For more information about the Darke County Parks District, visit http://www.darkecountyparks.org/