The Lunenburg Public Library isn’t just a place for readers and a gathering spot for people—it’s also a community center for hundreds of fascinating, non-human visitors! Take a closer look… You never know who you might meet!

This Week’s Visitor 

Monarch Butterfly

Library Status: Summer regular 

Favorite Section: Rose, butterfly and common milkweed

Checks Out: Nectar for energy and milkweed plants for the next generation

Superpower: As a species, migrates for thousands of miles each year

Borrowed Knowledge: Caterpillars eat toxic milkweed, which makes the adult butterflies taste bad and feel poisonous to hungry birds.  

Can you find me today?

Who Else Is Visiting the LPL? 

The gardens surrounding the library provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for native bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, wasps, birds and many other wildlife throughout the year.

When you visit, imagine the remarkable story unfolding around you. Native plants and wildlife have evolved together over thousands of years, forming relationships that help each other survive. Every flower, leaf, seed, and visiting creature is part of that story. Together, they keep our local ecosystems healthy.

How to Explore the Gardens

You can get quite close to many of the flowers if you walk on the sidewalk, children’s path, and gravel walkways between the gardens and building.

As you explore: 

• Look closely at flowers and leaves before moving on. Do you spot a visitor?

• Are there clues that someone has been there? Maybe the edge of a leaf has been nibbled or a leafcutter bee has cut a perfect round circle out of a smooth leaf. 

• Notice which insects prefer which plants. Are some plants “busier” than others? 

• Listen for buzzing and watch for movement and flashes of color. 

• Take pictures and share what you discover with library staff!

Nature rewards patience. Some of our visitors are shy, so you may have to sit quietly for a few minutes—or even return another day—to meet them. 

You may also want to try visiting at different times of day to discover even more. Some creatures are early risers, while others may not become active until later in the day or at night.