Monarch Butterflies Are Now Listed As Endangered

Monarch Butterflies Are Now Listed As Endangered

Thomas Nelson
August 7, 2022
Animals, Nature, News
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One of North America’s most iconic butterfly species, the Monarch butterfly, is in danger of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN. The butterfly was added to the ICUN’s “red list” of species that are threatened by extinction.

According to the group, the Monarch butterfly’s population in North America has declined by between 22% and 72% in just the last 10 years. The result varies depending on the method of measuring the population of the insect.

What’s driving the decline of the Monarch butterflies?

According to the Xerxes society, the primary threats to Monarch butterflies are farming practices that destroy native milkweed plants, which are important for Monarch breeding. Logging and development have reduced the sites where these butterflies overwinter. But climate change is the chief concern.

“Climate change has significantly impacted the migratory monarch butterfly and is a fast-growing threat,” the IUCN wrote in a press release. “Drought limits the growth of milkweed and increases the frequency of catastrophic wildfires, temperature extremes trigger earlier migrations before milkweed is available, while severe weather has killed millions of butterflies.”

What can we do to help the Monarch butterflies?

Those alarmed by the decline of the Monarch butterflies can take individual actions to help protect this species from extinction. Planting native milkweed plants, abstaining from using pesticides on your property, and using FSC-certified wood that doesn’t damage the Monarch’s winter habitat are some ways you can help.

“It is difficult to watch monarch butterflies and their extraordinary migration teeter on the edge of collapse, but there are signs of hope,” said Anna Walker, a member of the IUCN SSC Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group and Species Survival Officer at the New Mexico BioPark Society, who led the monarch butterfly assessment. “So many people and organizations have come together to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats.”

“From planting native milkweed and reducing pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites and contributing to community science, we all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery.”

How to get free milkweed seeds

If you live in the native range of the Monarch butterfly and want to help but don’t have a gardening budget, it’s possible to obtain free milkweed seeds.

ob Gittins, a resident of Omaha, Nebraska, was frustrated by how difficult it was to acquire milkweed seeds. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Gittins began buying the seeds in bulk from the Save Our Monarchs Foundation in Minnesota after realizing how difficult it was to get ahold of these seeds. He is now offering free milkweed seed packets to all interested gardeners on his website, Live Monarch. If you do order seeds, please be patient. According to the website, the demand has been enormous.

“Our small staff of very dedicated people are willing to put in long hours to fill the requests you send in with the best Milkweed seed for your gardens,” they wrote in an update. “Please be patient as this tremendous activity was not expected. Yes, we still have seeds and more are on the way from our best suppliers – some of whom are simple families that actually harvested the seeds.”