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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, September 10, 2015 | 12 Backyard hobby helping send butterflies to Mexico continued from p.6 The father-daughter hobby began more than a decade ago with the pair raising mostly swallowtail butterflies. In recent years, it has extended to include monarch butterflies. The annual tradition typically begins in late spring and lasts through the summer months. Over the years, thousands of butterflies have come and gone from their backyard. "We stopped counting after a while, but last year we released about 120 to 150 swallowtails and about 10 monarchs," said Cadogan, who shared his childhood hobby with his children at an early age. While his other children grew out of the hobby, Ashara, 23, continues to share the passion with her father. "It's something I grew to love and it's something I want to continue because there aren't a lot of them (monarchs) out there and they're really becoming endangered," said Ashara, a St. Ignatius of Loyola Secondary School graduate. "It's just nice to see the different colours and see how nice wildlife is, especially now with everything being developed over host plants for butterflies." Cadogan, 55, admitted some might say it's an unusual hobby, but he thinks it's a nice way to bond with his children while having some impact on wildlife. He's hoping others will see the beauty and reward in doing something similar in their backyard. "I still remember the days when huge willow trees would be totally cloaked in monarchs getting ready to cross Lake Ontario on their late summer trek south (to Mexico)," he said. "Taking a look at the 10 we just let go and about 20 so far this year, it puts into perspective the devastation that has occurred in the overall population." Ashara said it would be nice if others could plant milkweed so that monarchs Ashara Cadogan and her father Andrew Cadogan share a passion for helphave the food they need to ing butterflies, specifically monarchs, thrive and reproduce -- from their own backyard. thrive. | photo courtesy of the Cadogan family DOUBLE SAVINGS EVENT Fall SAVE BIG during our BIGGEST event of the year! 25 + 25 % OFF + Free 2for1 Upgrades! qsiwindows.com % OFF Call for details **Offer not applicable on basement window or storm door purchases. Offers not Valid on Martin wood window and door products. **Offers valid only on purchases made between September 1st to September 30th 2015.