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Photo by Sylvia Bacon
Saving the Monarch Butterfly
s a result of what researchers assert is
a “catastrophic drop” in the number of
monarchs migrating from the northern part
of the United States and Canada to Mexico
a number of conservation efforts are underway. Mexican
authorities have redoubled efforts to stop illegal logging in
the mountain area where the butterflies spend the winter. In
August 2014, scientists from a number of organizations filed
a petition with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting
that monarchs be listed as “threatened.”
Perhaps the most significant efforts are being made with
respect to the monarchs’ most important food source and
larval host—milkweed plants. The world’s struggle against
weeds may be succeeding, but in winning that war, the battle
to save the monarch is being lost. Milkweed loss means
monarch loss. Experts today are studying ways to restore
milkweed growth in the areas frequented by migrating
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butterflies. Even citizen scientists and backyard gardeners
can help by planting milkweed, but caution is also required
because not every variety of milkweed is appropriate for
monarch purposes. In a recent New York Times article Liza
Gross pointed out that many citizen scientists are planting
tropical—as opposed to native—milkweed, a type that may
actually be harmful to the monarchs.
Researchers are concerned that butterflies ingesting this
type of milkweed begin the breeding process rather than
continuing their journey to Mexico. Not only does this stop
their natural migration, it also leads to infection with a deadly
parasite. Studies about types of milkweed best suited for the
monarchs continue, but all agree that the widespread loss
of the plant is directly connected to the alarming decline in
the butterfly population. Backyards should certainly include
milkweed, but preferably native varieties. NK
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