Every fall, spectacular orange and black clouds of monarch butterflies
fill the skies as they migrate from across North America to Central
Mexico. West Coast populations make a similar though much shorter trip
to coastal California. The National Wildlife Federation calls the
monarch migration "one of the greatest natural phenomena in the insect
world." Not long ago, monarchs numbered in the billions, but in the
last 20 years their population has dropped by 90%, due to habitat loss
from pesticides, modern farming practices, urban development and other
human activity. An estimated one million acres of habitat are lost each
year.
But today, an army of citizen scientists, students and gardeners is
engaged in restoring this beloved pollinator's habitat - the wildflowers
and milkweed and feeding corridors - so that one of nature's most
beautiful creatures will still be there for generations to come. And it
starts in our own backyards.
The Monarch showcases this magnificent butterfly with eye-popping
photos, fun facts about a monarch's life cycle, and things to know about
the vital role that pollinators play in our ecosystem. Monarch
enthusiast and nature blogger Kylee Baumle provides "action" projects
for all ages, from planting milkweed and wildflowers to making butterfly
watering stations...to volunteer activism.
