A nondescript northern Virginia rest stop seems like an unlikely place to help bring back the monarch butterfly. But that’s exactly what’s been happening at mile marker 155 on I-95. For the past two years, VDOT has planted upwards of 9,000 native plants and milkweed to help the monarch on its migratory route through the area. During the last week of September we filmed the second such planting, with over 50 volunteers getting their hands dirty. Within the course of a few hours, the grassy patch between the highway and rest stop parking had been transformed. Rows of green crisscrossed the freshly dumped mulch; a butterfly landing strip amidst a sea of concrete. It’s a scene we hope to include in our upcoming documentary The Guardians. The day possessed a striking similarity to the reforestation efforts of our characters in Mexico.
While the planting may seem small, it’s an important piece of the growing nationwide movement to bring back the monarch. All over the US, individual citizens, advocacy groups, municipal, state, national governments, and universities are taking part in helping to restore the monarch population by planting milkweed. We’ve filmed various scenes just like this over the last year for The Guardians, and each represents a unique angle on the story we are telling. Our next stop is Iowa, where we plan to film a collaboration between Iowa State researchers and Iowan farmers as they test milkweed and other native plants on underused farmland. Get more updates on the progress of our film by signing up for the newsletter or following The Guardians on facebook.
