Smoke from the burning of wintering site trees

The Monarch is now #8 on the World Wildlife’s Fund’s list of the 10 most critically endangered species. Some scientists claim that this year the Monarch population is down by 90%, the lowest in years, though concern is with the disruption of the Monarch migration, not with their extinction. Torrential rains this past winter have caused landslides in the region, but the long term problem is habitat loss, which has shrunk from 9 to 1.9 hectares in a decade.

Deforestation, poor land use, and the herbicides used in ever-expanding corn and soybean farms all contribute, not to mention the increasing effect of climate change. See link.

Planting milkweed, the Monarch’s principal food source, is one positive step we can take. Those who live east of the Rockies can buy milkweed plants and seeds, as well as monarch eggs and caterpillars through: http://www.livemonarch.com.

Have you tried this? What was your experience?

topics: nature