Birchwood Butterfly Ranch

06/02/2026

🐣💛 Buffy Update! 💛🐣

Meet Buffy, the first hen in Birchwood Butterfly Ranch history to go full mama mode! 😂

Earlier this spring, Buffy (a Buff Orpington) decided she was DONE with laying eggs and leaving the nesting box. Instead, she went broody and became absolutely determined to hatch a clutch of eggs... some of which weren't even hers! 🤣

Since Dean and I had never experienced a broody hen before, we decided to let nature take its course and see what happened.

Well... Buffy knew exactly what she was doing. ❤️

A few weeks later, she proudly welcomed SEVEN adorable little chicks into the world! 🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥

They're all thriving, growing like weeds, and keeping their mama very busy. Watching Buffy care for her babies has been one of the sweetest things we've ever witnessed. She keeps them tucked safely under her wings at night, teaches them how to scratch for snacks, and even gives them rides on her back like tiny feathered Uber passengers. 🚕🐣😂

For now, Buffy and her little crew are living safely in the main coop while the rest of the flock gets used to their newest members.

Moments like this are one of the many reasons we love spring and summer at the Birchwood Butterfly Ranch. Between the monarchs, pollinators, birds, wildlife, gardens, and now baby chicks, there's always something amazing happening out here. 🌻🦋🐝🌿

One of our favorite things about hosting Pollinator Pack members at the BBR is getting to share all of these little everyday wonders that make the ranch such a special place. ❤️ 🐥

🦋🐣🌻

06/01/2026

🦋 Did you know that ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE bites of food we eat is made possible by pollinators? 🐝🌼

When most people think about butterflies and bees, they think about beauty. They think about colorful gardens, summer blooms, and warm sunny days.

But pollinators are so much more than that.

A groundbreaking new study published this month found that wild insect pollinators were responsible for nearly HALF of farming income in the communities studied and provided more than 20% of important nutrients like vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E to local families.

Think about that for a moment.

These tiny creatures help put food on our tables, support farmers, strengthen local economies, and contribute to human health all over the world. 🌎💛

Researchers warn that when pollinator populations decline, people can experience what is called "hidden hunger"—a lack of critical nutrients that may not cause starvation but can quietly impact immune health, childhood development, and overall well-being.

And while this study took place in Nepal, the lesson is universal:

Healthy pollinators = Healthy people.

Here at Birchwood Butterfly Ranch, we're seeing encouraging signs of the season unfolding. Milkweed is growing strong, monarch eggs are beginning to appear, and every week we're finding more evidence that our native pollinators are hard at work across the ranch. 🌱🦋

It's a powerful reminder that conservation isn't just about saving butterflies because they're beautiful (although they certainly are!). It's about protecting the intricate web of life that supports all of us.

Every milkweed planted.
Every pollinator garden created.
Every Butterfly Block adopted.
Every acre of habitat restored.

It all matters. ❤️

Thank you for being part of this journey with us and helping create a future where monarchs, bees, and people can thrive together.

Tag someone who needs a reminder that some of the world's most important workers have wings. 🦋🐝

🦋🌻🐝

05/28/2026

🍄🦋 Monarchs & Morels! 🦋🍄

The monarch butterflies aren’t the only magical things you’ll find at the Birchwood Butterfly Ranch this time of year. Danielle stumbled upon these gorgeous morel mushrooms out at the ranch this week and it reminded us just how incredibly diverse and interconnected this ecosystem really is. 🌿✨

While most people think of the BBR as “the butterfly place” (which we obviously LOVE 😄), the reality is that the ranch is one giant living, breathing ecosystem working together to support pollinators and wildlife of all kinds.

One of the things that makes the BBR so special is that our huge field of native milkweed and pollinator habitat is completely surrounded by protective forest. That forest does SO much more than just look pretty. It helps shield monarchs from harsh winds, creates moisture balance, provides shelter during storms, and gives butterflies safe places to rest, dry their wings, and sun themselves after rain showers. ☀️🦋

We often spot monarchs perched on the quaking aspens near what we lovingly call Fern Gully, quietly opening their wings to the sunshine after a summer rain. It’s one of our favorite sights on the ranch. 💚

And those same woods? They’re also packed with incredible fungi and forest life! NW Wisconsin is an absolute hot zone for mushroom diversity. Over the years we’ve found:
🍄 Morels
🍄 Chicken of the Woods
🍄 Hen of the Woods
🍄 Oyster Mushrooms
🍄 Lion’s Mane
🍄 Hedgehogs
🍄 Puffballs
🍄 Black Trumpets
🍄 Coral Fungus
…and so many more!

Healthy forests create healthy ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems support stronger pollinator habitat. And stronger pollinator habitat helps monarchs, bees, birds, and countless other species thrive. 🐝🦋🌲

Any fellow mushroom hunters out there? 🙋‍♀️ We’d LOVE to see what you’ve been foraging this season! Drop your mushroom pics in the comments! (Don’t worry… your secret spots are safe with us 😉)

05/27/2026

🦋✨ THIS is the kind of message we LOVE getting! ✨🦋

A huge thank you to BBR friend Amy Krogman Okey for sending us this absolutely GORGEOUS photo of a monarch stopping by her crabapple blossoms for a little nectar refresh. 🩷🌸

One of our very favorite things is getting a peek at what the monarchs (and all their pollinator pals 🐝🐦) are up to on your land! Whether it’s a butterfly visiting your flowers, bees hard at work in your garden, or a pollinator-friendly project you’re tackling at home—we want to see it ALL! 📸💚

Danielle just wrapped up planting her cut flower garden in the veggie garden 🌱🌼 and is now impatiently waiting for the zinnias to start doing their thing. Because let’s be honest...pulling weeds and garden chores get WAY more fun when you’ve got butterflies floating by and bees buzzing around like your tiny little coworkers. 😂🐝🦋

There’s something really special about sharing this collective love of butterflies, pollinators, and creating little pockets of habitat wherever we can. It reminds us that conservation doesn’t have to be huge to be meaningful—it can start right outside your back door. 💚🌎

So PLEASE keep the photos and stories coming! Tag us, DM us, comment below—we absolutely love celebrating your pollinator wins with you! 🥰

05/26/2026

05/21/2026

🌼🔥 POLLINATOR POWERHOUSE SPOTLIGHT! 🔥🌼

Today we’re giving a BIG Birchwood Butterfly Ranch shoutout to one of our amazing Pollinator Pack members, the incredibly talented Master Gardener, Judi Robison! 👏💚 Judi shared this gorgeous photo of one of her favorite nectar superstars: Torch Tithonia (aka Mexican Sunflower)…and WOW, her local pollinators are clearly obsessed. 😍🦋🐝🐦

And honestly...how could they not?! Torch Tithonia is basically the all-you-can-eat buffet of the pollinator world. 🌮😂 These bold, fiery orange blooms can grow 4–6 feet tall, thrive in full sun, handle summer heat like absolute champs ☀️, and pump out nectar that monarch butterflies, bees, AND hummingbirds find downright irresistible. If you’re looking for a plant that brings serious pollinator party energy to your yard…this is IT. 🎉

Judi, thank you for creating such a beautiful haven for our tiny winged friends and for sharing your pollinator wisdom with all of us! 💛

Now we want to know...👇
What’s YOUR favorite pollinator powerhouse?
Do you have a go-to flower that always has bees buzzing, butterflies floating in, or hummingbirds dive-bombing the garden? 🐝🦋💨

Drop the plant name in the comments—and BONUS POINTS if you share a photo! 📸👇 Let’s build the ultimate crowd-sourced pollinator planting list together!

And to every one of you planting nectar-rich blooms, milkweed, native flowers, container gardens, or even just making a little extra room for pollinators…THANK YOU. 🌎💚 Small actions really do create BIG impact for the little pollinating heroes we love so much.

05/20/2026

🚨🌱 IT’S HAPPENING!!! 🌱🚨

The butterfly season has OFFICIALLY begun at Birchwood Butterfly Ranch! 🦋💚

This morning, Danielle spotted the VERY FIRST milkweed emerging at the BBR! 🥹🌱 Cue the collective happy dancing!!!

We’ll admit it... there was a tiny bit of nervous pacing happening over here. 😅 For the past TWO years in a row, we’ve spotted our first monarchs during this very same week, and Danielle may or may not have been giving Mother Nature the ol’ “Anytime now…” look because, as monarch lovers know...

✨ No milkweed = no monarch babies. ✨

Milkweed is the ONLY host plant monarch butterflies lay their eggs on, and the ONLY food monarch caterpillars can eat. So seeing those first little shoots poke through the soil? BIG DEAL. Especially since we've been having a bit of a cold and crazy spring!

And as if Nature knew we had something special brewing... the timing couldn’t be more perfect because Danielle just officially completed her training to become a volunteer for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP)! 🎉🔬🦋

This incredible worldwide citizen science project, developed by University of Minnesota researchers in 1997, helps collect long-term data on monarch eggs, caterpillars, and milkweed habitat so scientists can better understand monarch populations and migration trends.

And guess what? The BBR is ALL IN. 💪🦋

Danielle is registering THREE distinct monitoring zones across the ranch where she’ll conduct weekly monarch egg + larva surveys throughout the season, carefully counting eggs and larvae plant by plant. (Yes... this is basically monarch detective work, and we are totally down for! 🕵️‍♀️🐛)

We are SO excited to see what we discover this season—not just for our own curiosity, but because this data contributes to something so much bigger than us. 🌎💚

But wait... it gets even better. 👀

Our dream is to eventually bring YOU and our local community into helping Danielle conduct these monitoring sessions from time to time! That includes:

🦋 Pollinator Pack members
🦋 Butterfly Bungalow guests
🦋 Local students
🦋 Community nature-loving groups

Because conservation gets even more powerful when it becomes community-powered. 💚

Danielle will also be completing additional training through MLMP so she can teach OTHERS how to monitor monarchs in their own communities in the future! How fun is THAT?! 🤩

This is exactly what Birchwood Butterfly Ranch is all about... protecting habitat, learning from nature, contributing meaningful science, and inspiring others to fall in love with these magical little migratory powerhouses right alongside us. 🧡🖤

The season is here, friends. 🥹🦋

NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 👇
Have you spotted milkweed popping up on your property or in your area yet? Seen your first monarch?? Drop your sightings in the comments! 🌱🦋

Want to learn more about the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project? Visit: https://mlmp.org/

05/19/2026

Have you heard about this? Morgan Freeman turned 124 acres of his own land into a pollinator paradise, too! 👏🐝🌼

We absolutely LOVE seeing stories like this. When people with big platforms (and hearts🧡) use their voices (and their land!) to shine a spotlight on pollinators, that’s a beautiful thing.

BUT… here’s the really important part:

You do not need to be Morgan Freeman or a celebrity 😉
You do not need 124 acres.
You do not need celebrity status, deep pockets, or a sprawling ranch in Mississippi.

Want to be a pollinator hero? Start with what you have. 🌿

🐝 A container garden on your apartment balcony
🦋 A few pots of pollinator-friendly flowers on your patio
🌸 A sunny corner of your front landscaping designated for pollinator-friendly plant varieties
🌼 A cut flower garden that brings you AND pollinator joy
🌱 Swapping out just a little turf on that big lawn for native plants

Small actions by MANY people? That’s how BIG change happens. 💥

Every patch of habitat matters. Every bloom matters. Every person who chooses to care matters.

And if you’d rather support pollinators another way that's super easy, our Pollinator Pack would love to have you! 💛 For as little as $5/year, you can adopt a butterfly block and help us continue improving our 40+ acres of pollinator habitat for monarchs and all their amazing winged friends here at Birchwood Butterfly Ranch. 🦋🌿

Here's how: https://birchwoodbutterflyranch.com/join-the-pollinator-pack/

No matter HOW you show up for pollinators, please know this: it matters more than you think. The bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and all the tiny hardworking pollinators out there thank you… and so do we. 🐝💛

Morgan Freeman transformed his 124-acre ranch in Mississippi into a haven for honeybees after becoming deeply concerned about the global decline of pollinators. Beginning around 2014, he brought in dozens of beehives and worked to create an environment where bees could thrive naturally. Rather than treating it like a commercial operation, Freeman focused on sustainability, planting bee-friendly flowers, trees, and plants such as clover, lavender, and magnolia to provide year-round nourishment.

What makes his effort stand out is its intention. Freeman has said he doesn’t harvest the honey or disturb the hives, explaining that his goal is simply to support the bees and let them do what they do best. By turning his land into a sanctuary, he’s using his platform to draw attention to the vital role bees play in ecosystems and food production, showing that meaningful environmental action can start right at home.

05/18/2026

🚨 MONARCH BREAKTHROUGH ALERT! 🚨🦋

Okay, butterfly friends... this is the kind of news that makes us want to run barefoot through the milkweed field yelling, “SCIENCE IS SO COOL!” 🤩🌿

For the FIRST TIME EVER, scientists successfully tracked an individual eastern monarch butterfly traveling from her overwintering home in Mexico all the way north into the United States using a teeny tiny solar-powered Bluetooth transmitter… smaller than a grain of rice. 🤯☀️📡

Meet ROS006 🧡🖤

She spent the winter tucked safely in the oyamel fir forests of Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, then said, *“Alright, girls, let’s roll.”* 💁‍♀️🦋

By March 14, she crossed into Texas.
By March 15, she was in Arkansas.

That’s a journey of 1,044 MILES. In a BUTTERFLY BODY.** 🤯👏

Read that again.

ONE.
THOUSAND.
FORTY-FOUR.
MILES.

And here’s the part that gives us goosebumps...

The monarchs heading north right now are the very butterflies (or their descendants!) making their way toward Wisconsin in search of milkweed, nectar, safe habitat, and places like Birchwood Butterfly Ranch. 🥹🌿

For years, we’ve known these migrations were extraordinary.

Now? We can actually WATCH them happen in near real time. 😭🦋📍

Honestly, knowing that a butterfly who began her journey in the mountains of Mexico could someday have descendants fluttering through OUR field in Birchwood? That hits us right in the feelings. ❤️

This is exactly why habitat matters.

Every patch of milkweed.
Every nectar bloom.
Every pollinator waystation.
Every Butterfly Block adopted by our amazing Pollinator Pack. 🫶🌸

Because these tiny travelers are depending on a connected chain of kindness stretching across an entire continent. 🌎✨

Tag someone who needs this incredible butterfly fact in their life today! 🦋👇