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Campers at Camp Jotoni love exploring monarch butterflies with RMGSC

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Written by Jody F. and Mousumi P., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardeners

Camp Jotoni in Warren, NJ serves special needs individuals with varying degrees of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rutgers Master Gardener’s Gardening with Special Needs Audiences Team has been involved with the camp for over 15 years. Campers enjoy activities and games in the nature trails, and vegetable, herb, and sensory gardens. By working with Camp Jotoni’s specialists and following American Horticultural Therapy association practices, the team has been able to customize elements of the program to ensure campers experience nature with many hands-on activities. 

In July 2024, campers of all ages spent the day in nature, learning about the lifecycle of monarch butterflies while making coffee filter monarch caterpillars and butterflies. Below, Johanna O. shows the group monarch caterpillars in various stages of development and their chrysalises. The RMGs have tailor made a nature program and activities that are enjoyed by the campers each year. The team also designed, developed and maintains several garden areas on campus that are used to augment the campers’ experiences in nature.

A volunteer shows a group of campers milkweed inside of a butterfly enclosure
Photo: Jody Friedman, 2024

Box Tree Moth

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Written by Mousumi P., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardener

Box Tree Moth (Cyadalima perspectalis) is a non-native insect currently under watch for its threat to boxwoods (Photo 1). Originally native to China, Korea, and other Asian countries, the Box Tree Moth has made its way into Europe (2007) Ontario Canada (2018) and recently confirmed in the US in July 2021.

In its caterpillar stage (Photo 2), the Box Tree Moth eats through the leaves of boxwoods leaving behind a curly skeleton branch as well as frass and webbing in the interior of the shrub (Photo 3). Young caterpillars can overwinter on protected spaces of plants and have multiple generations per year. In its moth phase, the Box Tree Moth can fly up to 2 miles causing it to readily spread to new plants and areas.

As current treatment options are new and considered experimental, the best course of action is to remove the affected parts of the boxwood, securely bag and dispose.

For additional information on Box Tree Moth, visit Box Tree Moth: Fact Sheet, Management & Visual Guide or https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/box-tree-moth.

If you think you see Box Tree Moth or damage from this insect, please contact the Somerset County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office immediately at 908-526-6293 or rmghelpline@co.somerset.nj.us.

Szabolcs Sáfián, University of West Hungary, Bugwood.org
A green and black box tree moth larva munches on a boxwood leaf
Ferenc Lakatos, University of Sopron, Bugwood.org
Damage caused by box tree moth larvae
Ferenc Lakatos, University of Sopron, Bugwood.org

Native Bee and Native Plant Garden Sign Refresh

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Our sign at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) just got a refresh! It features information about the Native Bee Garden which is a project by two Rutgers Environmental Stewards, Ellen L. and Shona E. The sign also includes details about the nearby Native Plant Garden, which is maintained by a dedicated group of Rutgers Master Gardeners, as well as instructions for accessing the both gardens’ companion guides . Both gardens are located in a lovely area of the park, off an accessible boardwalk trail for those who are looking for a short walk.

Go check it out any time from dawn until dusk at 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920!

A signpost with a green poster that reads "Native Bee Garden, Native Plant Garden" sits in front of a garden. In the background is a wooden bee hotel.
Photo by Dan Ross, 2024. Environmental Education Center

Designing a Garden at TOPS Camp

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Written by Barbara V., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardener

During July’s 4H TOPS Camp, campers created and designed their own “dream gardens” with the help of our own Rutgers Master Gardeners. To begin with, campers discussed and charted all the responsibilities and duties a garden demands. We also learned how important it is to read the back of seed packets to give each individual plant the conditions and care they need to thrive in a garden. We looked at the difference between clay and sandy soil with a drainage demonstration. Campers then used grid paper, images of real plants and craft supplies to create a garden of their own. The results were incredible! There were gardens with koi ponds, built in pools, beehives, apple orchards, fountains, and intricately designed walkways, as well as beautifully designed garden beds filled with veggies, fruits and flowers. I know we have some future garden designers at this camp. Campers then took their designs home to put up on a vision board. Everyone had a great time.

A young TOPS Camp attendee designs a colorful purple and orange garden with a pond and a carrot patch
Photo by Karen D’Ambrosio, 2024

Monarch and Black Swallowtail Release at the 4H Fair

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Written by Karen D., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardener

Who doesn’t love butterflies! These majestic creatures delight the young and old. Before butterflies can be seen gliding about in our gardens, we have to consider the true heroes who make it all possible. We are talking about caterpillars. Monarchs and Black Swallowtails have specific host plants on which they feed and lay eggs. The Monarch butterfly will only lay her eggs on milkweed plants. The caterpillars will then hatch and eat only milkweed prior to forming a chrysalis. Similarly, black swallowtail butterflies will lay her eggs on herbs in the carrot family (Apiaceae or Umbelliferae), such as parsley, fennel, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. The caterpillars then feed on these plants before forming a chrysalis. Both species go through the four stages of their life cycle (metamorphosis) on their journey to becoming a beautiful butterfly, a process which takes about 28-35 days. Monarchs are orange and black while Swallowtails are black with yellow and blue patterns on their wings.

If you would like to know more about Monarch and Black Swallowtail butterflies, come visit the Board of Agriculture/Rutgers Master Gardener tent at the 4-H Fair from August 7-9. In addition to showcasing the different stages of development, the Rutgers Master Gardeners will be holding a butterfly release every day at 3PM just outside of our tent. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the fair!

A monarch butterfly nectars on a white flower