Don Young: The butterfly whisperer

By Gerry Potter

To The Haldimand Press

CAYUGA—Down by the river in Cayuga Don Young raises monarch butterflies from very tiny eggs through to one of the most majestic and colourful insects we have.

To date, he has raised and released well over 50 monarchs, with many more still working their way through their development stages.

Young only came by this hobby this past year after reading that the monarch is endangered; he then did his own research about their habitat and life cycles.

Last year he had a few eggs wend their way through their life cycle process and was able to release a handful to the wild, but those numbers pale to what he has accomplished this year.

He began his activities in earnest this July and has entertained neighbours and grandchildren alike with pictures and commentary while showing his aquarium full of leaves with eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, and newly emerged butterflies drying their wings before release.