My family hosted a Labor Day picnic last year, but it wasn’t just neighbors who turned out for the feast. That afternoon we spotted monarch caterpillars munching on common milkweed plants in our garden. In the weeks that followed, we delighted in watching them grow, pupate and emerge from their chrysalides as adults.
I’d like to think that these butterflies migrated safely to their winter home in Mexico, but even if they did, they were part of the smallest overwintering monarch population ever, says Monarch Watch director Chip Taylor, who attributes the low number in large part to habitat loss. A trio of harsh winter storms may have further reduced the group’s size by at least half, according to scientists’ estimates.
While Taylor suspects it may take several years for the species to rebound, you can play a part in the monarch’s recovery if you live in an area where the insect breeds. “Having caterpillar plants in your garden means butterflies are more likely to linger and explore possible sites to lay eggs,” says the staff at Monarch Watch. Read the entire article.
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