Passing through...

Monarchs like this one have been spotted at the Dublin Public Library’s Butterfly Garden in recent weeks as they make their annual migration south. According to the U.S. Forest Service, Monarchs in eastern North America travel to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico every year to avoid the cold winter weather. The insects use several flyways that converge in Central Texas as they head south. Monarchs are able to travel between 50 and 100 miles every day, and the journey can take up to two months to complete. The library’s Butterfly Garden is a Texas Master Naturalist Project and is furnished with specially selected plants to attract butterflies and provide them with what they need to survive and flourish. Paul Gaudette | Citizen staff photo