There are few sights more welcome to gardeners than the brilliant monarch butterfly. Normally, the gardens of Perry Wellness Center are filled with monarchs. This year, few of these spectacular butterflies have been sighted, but Mulkey McMichael caught one with his camera recently.

“These monarch butterflies are a great color provider and pollinator,” Mulkey explained. “We are careful not to hurt the insects, but bring fruit to feed them.”

Monarchs normally migrate through Southwest Georgia during both spring and fall, and breeding new butterflies. Many monarchs remain in the winter in southeastern states, including our own. As former first lady Rosalynn Carter supported the area butterfly trail during her lifetime, we look forward to spotting more visiting butterflies on our campus.