The survival of the Monarch Butterfly depends on us. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department recently announced that it may deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act. The main reason for the decline of the Monarch Butterfly is the loss of its food source - milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant Monarch caterpillars eat and it’s where all female Monarchs lay their eggs.
Milkweed has been nearly eradicated on soy and corn farms in the Midwest. This has devastated the Monarch’s habitat. Logging in Mexico’s Oyamel fir forest, pesticide use, weather and climate disruption and the demise of 500 million monarchs during a winter storm in 2002 have compounded the situation.
To read my North Jersey Media article please go to: http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/got-milkweed-1.1232475
The best way to help the Monarch rebound is to plant milkweed wherever possible. Milkweed seeds are available through many online sources. Here are just a few:
http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
http://www.xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder/
http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/resources/plant-seed-suppliers/
Milkweed has been nearly eradicated on soy and corn farms in the Midwest. This has devastated the Monarch’s habitat. Logging in Mexico’s Oyamel fir forest, pesticide use, weather and climate disruption and the demise of 500 million monarchs during a winter storm in 2002 have compounded the situation.
To read my North Jersey Media article please go to: http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/got-milkweed-1.1232475
The best way to help the Monarch rebound is to plant milkweed wherever possible. Milkweed seeds are available through many online sources. Here are just a few:
http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
http://www.xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder/
http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/resources/plant-seed-suppliers/
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