Monarchs, the beloved butterflies in North America, are in trouble. The monarchs that breed in western North America migrate toward the Pacific to overwinter in tree groves scattered along the coast from Mendocino County in California to Baja California in Mexico. For twenty years, counts have been made of overwintering butterflies thanks to volunteers with the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. The numbers have been dwindling, but the results this winter were shocking: less than 28,500 butterflies. This is a steep drop from the prior year, and an almost complete collapse from the 1980s, when there were 4.5 million monarchs overwintering in California.
In response to these alarming numbers, the Xerces Society, an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats, released a call to action that highlights the five most urgent conservation priorities for the western monarchs:
- Protect and manage coastal 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 habitat outside of California.
- Answer key research questions about how to best aid western monarch recovery.
So what can you do to aid in this effort?
- Plant flowers which are attractive to monarchs and other butterflies, with an emphasis on the best monarch nectar plants for your region.
- Plant native milkweed, especially species which emerge earliest and are already at the seedling or transplant stage. Find milkweed seed and plant vendors.
- Avoid using pesticides and seek out non-chemical options to prevent and manage pests in your garden and landscaping.
If you’re already growing native milkweed, collect seed and share with a friend! Learn How to Collect Seeds From Milkweed: A Pod and a Plan.