Butterfly Effect: Can Monarchs Avoid Extinction?

Blame DuPont for RoundUp. They convinced the farmers to use it everywhere. Now they're getting all the highway departments to use it too. It's very very hard to find any wildflowers in agricultural areas. We're starving them, and not just monarchs.😢

I live in Southern ontario and recently started planting milkweed and goldenrod in our backyard to help native birds and bugs, hoping more people will start doing the same

my 3rd grade class had two "pet" monarchs. The teacher found a few caterpillars outside, put them in a little habitat that was regularly stocked with fresh milkweed from where they were found, and we watched them grow into the chrysalis stage. Two butterflies, a male and a female emerged, and we all submitted names to then vote on. The kids ended up choosing my submission for both sexes separately - Superman and Wonder Woman, lol. Once they finished priming their wings, we released them outside behind the school. One landed on my shoulder before departure. That was 25 years ago, and a beautiful experience that I wish today's children could have. To see such a fragile little thing of beauty fly into the sky and know it was probably going to fly to Mexico...all the way from New Jersey.

Seeing a swarm of monarchs is one of the most magical experiences. I had the pleasure of witnessing a migration starting when I was a kid in Michigan - absolutely a core memory

Here in Pennsylvania there are thousands of miles of roads that are clipped, mowed and chemically treated to look like manicured lawns. In earlier years these areas and medians were filled with native flowering plants, especially the species of milkweed that Monarch caterpillars preferred and where adult Monarchs layed their eggs. There is no reason why huge areas can't be planted with milkweed and other native plants using the money that is now being spent on mowing etc. Taking this cost effective step would have a major impact in helping the Monarch population to grow significantly while saving the taxpayers significant amounts of money as well. If other states would do the same, Monarch numbers would explode in a few short years.

I'm sorry, you said only TWO THOUSAND were left?! They were that close to extinction? Crazy

I once saw a Monarch butterfly in the Canary Islands. They've likely been blown over on Atlantic storms but there's a breading population now!

shoutout to the butterflies who have to lift heavy and fly with antennas in the name of research. many more butterflies will be born and will fly free thanks to you. your efforts and contributions will not be forgotten

If you ever get the opportunity to be up near Pismo Beach, CA in the winter, don't pass up the chance to visit the Monarch Grove. The Eucalyptus trees are absolutely covered with butterflies. It is an amazing sight and the way things are going, you may never get another chance in the future.

Here in Virginia we have common milkweed, which spreads underground, and can provide a lot of habitat quickly. Swamp milkweed is good for wet areas, but also can be grown in places other than swamps. Butterfly milkweed is well behaved and shorter in stature than both of the other two species. These are the three most common species I see here in the mountains of Virginia.

The big monarch migration hit while I was at CSUDH. The campus was completely covered with traveling monarchs and some professors even let us leave class to see them at the daily height!

I remember in kindergarten we had a bunch of caterpillars in boxes in the back of the classroom and then we took them outside when they all emerged from their cocoons and the school yard was filled with monarch butterflies.

Last year was the first year I had seen Monarchs in our area in years... sadly there were only about 3 or 4 seen around my house.

I had the good fortune of having a monarch butterfly hatch out a chrysalis in my tomato garden. I even got to watch the hatching live. Absolutely amazing creatures.

I'm in iowa and I always feel bad for all the butterflies that get hit by cars and trucks on the highway

I live in WA State, and have always enjoyed seeing the Monarchs every summer. I saw ONE last year. It's incredibly sad.

when we see monarch butterflies in our backyard we get excited, it's so rare even with our huge backyard another great video, no nose rings

As kids we hiked up this gravel pile, (laid down during the Last Ice Age) in the middle of the Susquehanna Valley back in the 60"s. Otego NY. There was a migration of Monarch butterflies heading south. Regular "river or carpet" that skimmed the peak of that gravel pile. Stretched for miles. Me and my brothers along with some cousins were in the middle of a "Blizzard" of them for the next say half hour. From time to time would see them still head both North and South.

I remember participating in the eastern butterfly count in my area once 20 some years ago.

7:00 the butterflies are clustering around non-native, likely invasive, Eucalyptus species. CAL-IPC ought to take a look at those.