Dryden, D. (18 July 2007). Butterflies as education. Washburn County Register, p. 12.

Butterflies as education

By Diane Dryden

SHELL LAKE - Anyone who knows Mary Ellen Ryall of Shell Lake knows that she's passionate about the monarch butterfly. Not just because it's cute and friendly, but because it's a thermometer of the ecosystem around us. Because the butterflies won't go anywhere near genetically altered crops, they are starting to languish because there aren't natural places to go and less and less milkweed to pupate on.

But because this tenacious woman chose Shell Lake as her new home a year ago, the whole town is buzzing with the new butterfly gardens that will be starting soon. Several people from various state, county and city offices met with Ryall at the site along Hwy. 63 north of town to determine how the soil needs to be amended for growing native habitat for the monarchs. Because the site butts right up against the old railroad bed, that needs to be taken in consideration along with the fact that cars make it a habit of parking on the future site when the regular dirt parking lot is full north of Memorial Park.

When the analysis is finished, the tilling can begin. Dan Hubin, chief tiller, has some very clever ways to get the community involved as well as some of the city officials. The plans are still under wraps, but there might be some fun involved with the official ground breaking of the first section of gardens. The gardens will need to be tilled again in August, and then again in September, readying the area for the native plugs and plants that will be ordered for next year with ecology grant money.

Meanwhile, milkweed seeds are being packaged by volunteers to be shipped throughout the United States. There is also a 47-minute butterfly film that will be shown at the Shell Lake Public Library on Wednesday, July 25, at 6:30 p.m. and then again at Lakeland Manor July 31 and at the senior center on Sept. 19.

Ryall has ordered butterfly toys that change from pupa to butterfly when turned inside out, and she also has some finger butterflies to use as visual aids when she takes her educational class to the schools this coming year.

In the St. Paul Pioneer Press this week, there was an article about the city growing milkweed in the highways meridians, so the word is spreading. Shell Lake is leading the way, both locally and nationally by building the only butterfly habitat in the United States.

Like ripples in a pond, sustainability is starting to grow. From plastic bottles that fill the landfills to buying local food to help save fuel consumption and prevent pollution.

It's the greening of America, and every day more and more people think it's a good idea and start in small ways. Even the landfill operators say that if everyone recycled their discards, it would save the landfills by 40-percent volume.

Happy Tonics is the organization under which Ryall works, and membership to this worthy organization is only $20 per year. Soon there will be an online store with the ability to use credit cards for item purchases and for membership. Ryall is looking for a webmaster, maybe someone retired or really into this cause to volunteer some hours to help with this worthy project. Take a minute and go to www.happytonics.org for more information.