Protect the Monarch Butterfly

This year may be one of the worst for the monarch butterfly, experts are
reporting. Severe hailstorms in Mexico (one of the monarch%u2019s winter
home) followed by fifteen inches of rain has left the population
decimated by up to 50 percent this year. Add to that the ongoing issue
of habitat destruction, and the future of the monarch begins to look a
little shaky.

The monarch population is typically measured by the number of acres of
pine trees the butterflies fill in their Mexican wintering habitat. This
year, scientists found the smallest area of monarchs overwintering in
the 16 years they have been looking%u2013down to 4.7 acres from an average of
18.3 acres.

At the fairy-like weight of a mere .026 oz, these stalwart troopers make
the journey from as far as Canada all the way to Mexico%u2013it%u2019s like The
Odyssey of the insect world. According to MonarchWatch.org, monarch
butterflies cannot survive a long cold winter, unlike most other insects
in temperate climates. Instead, they spend the winter in roosting
spots%u2013monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains travel to small groves of
trees along the California coast, while those east of the Rocky
Mountains fly farther south to the forests high in the mountains of
Mexico.

No other butterflies migrate like North American monarchs. They travel
much farther than all other tropical butterflies, up to three thousand
miles. They are the only butterflies to make such a long, round trip
migration every year. Amazingly, they fly in masses to the same winter
roosts, often to the exact same trees. Part of the problem monarchs are
facing is the longevity of the trees within which they roost: Illegal
logging in Mexico has destroyed the butterflies%u2019 mountain habitats,
while property development in California threatens the eucalyptus trees
where they roost there.

In addition to habitat issues and the increasingly severe weather, such
as that which the butterflies are facing this year, there has also been a
significant increase of planting corn and soybean crops that are
genetically engineered to be herbicide-resistant. This allows farmers to
use weed killer without hurting the crops, but it also means that
little of the monarch%u2019s beloved milkweed is left. No milkweed means no
place for the butterflies to breed along the way, a crucial step,
obviously, in the survival of the species.

Visit Monarchwatch.org to find out what you can do to help. For more
ways to help butterflies see First Aid for Butterflies, and How to Make
Butterfly Food.


www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm


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