Monarch Butterfly Crisis
The monarch butterfly is a species in crisis!
Each fall, eastern monarchs (east of the Rockies) travel to central Mexico, while western monarchs migrate to the California Coast, where they over-winter before returning for breeding.
Eastern monarch update:
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It has been reported that some scientists believe that climatic variations in the monarch's breeding areas in Canada and the United States gave rise to high temperatures and drought, which reduced the abundance of milkweed, the only plant in which the butterflies lay their eggs. Land-use changes in the United States, combined with the widespread use of herbicides, also contributed to the loss of milkweed and other nectar plants essential to feeding adult monarchs.
Western monarch update:
Results of the western migration showed a decrease in the overwintering monarch population, however, the Xerces Society reported that in the late-season count, a little over 141,000 butterflies were counted across 200 overwintering sites; by comparison, last year’s late-season count was only about 117,000. This suggests the population heading into the spring is modestly larger than last year, despite a lower peak-season count.
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- Protect and manage California overwintering sites
- Restore breeding and migratory habitat in California
- Protect monarchs and their habitat from pesticides
- Protect, manage, and restore summer breeding and fall migration monarch habitat outside of California
- Answer key research questions about how to best aid western monarch recovery
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All types of native bees are also in decline. Many of the plants that grow in our environment depend on bees for pollination. They pollinate flowers, fruits, and vegetables and their services provide food for the butterflies. Help preserve our environment . . . learn how to add plants to your garden to attract butterflies and help pollinators. Click here for your Butterfly/Bee Guide to plant preferences.
