Fauna
Monarch Butterflies at Crossing Hedgerows
This week the monarch butterfly was put on the endangered species list. https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2022/07/25/monarch-butterflies-named-endangered-species-red-list/
I’m glad to report that we’ve still been seeing them around the farm and sanctuary regularly this year, and we do have a couple of different varieties of milkweed available for them. Yesterday I saw four different ones flitting about.
Monarch on Swamp Milkweed – Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC taken on July 14, 2022 at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary
I would like to note however, that planting more milkweed in Michigan is likely going to do very little to help the monarchs. Milkweed plants are widespread around Michigan, and this is not the area where the monarchs are running into problems.
The real issue is that their migration route takes them through the prairie states, which have been denuded of almost all of their natural habitat in order to create massive industrial mono-cropped farms of corn, soy, and wheat. The real way to help the monarchs is to not eat food from the industrial farming system that destroys ecosystems. Obtaining our food from local, small, regenerative type farms is the best way to protect the monarchs. Whatever steps we can take in that direction will help not only this issue, but many others.
Monarch on Swamp Milkweed – Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC taken on July 14, 2022 at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary
I know that most of you are already aware of this, and it is one of the reasons you support what we do. Providing at least a little bit of food at Crossing Hedgerows for our community is one of the ways we put our ethics into practice.
With gratitude,
Jean
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
