[CWF REFLECTIONS OF NATURE PHOTO CONTEST BY DEBBIE OPPERMANN OF ONTARIO]
It isn’t good news for monarchs. Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the United States to spend their winter in Mexico. The number of monarch butterflies that made it to Mexico this year is down 59 per cent, the lowest level since record keeping began 20 years ago. There is now only an estimated one-fifteenth as many monarch butterflies compared to 1997.
There are several thoughts as to what is causing this decline.
- The widespread use of herbicides which kills milkweed. Milkweeds are extremely important for monarchs – the caterpillars only feed on milkweed leaves
- Invasive species such as dog strangling vine – while some females will lay their eggs on this vine (a cousin of milkweed), the caterpillars die because it’s not their food source
- Climate change
- Logging and water availability in Mexico
But this is one situation where we can all help, regardless of the size of your property. You can:
- Plant milkweed – most common are common milkweed, swamp milkweed and butterfly weed
- Avoid the use of pesticides
- Create basking spots for butterflies by placing a few flat stones in sunny, sheltered locations
- Satisfy the thirst of butterflies on hot summer days by supplying water in a shallow dish or bird-bath with half-submerged stones as perches.
For more helpful tips please check out WildAboutGardening.org
To see the full article click here.
Terri-Lee Reid
Terri-Lee Reid is a Freshwater Conservation Researcher at the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF). She leads initiatives in researching, designing and delivering freshwater programs and advocating CWF’s freshwater positions to government, the public and other stakeholders.
1 comment
How incredibly sad for the much loved Monarch species. I was in Mexico a few years ago and visited the place where the Canadian/USA Monarchs fly annually and it was a spectacular sight!! Sadly though, with all the bad news about the disappearance of, and/or the incredible declines in certain wildlife species over the past while, it seems as if certain species of wildlife populations in various countries are, indeed, doomed. A HUGE loss for we Canucks is the ongoing dissipation of Canada’s Ice (Polar) Bear population who are presently STARVING TO DEATH because of global warming & the resultant lack of sea ice which the bears use to rest on, hunt from, seek out mates from, travel on, etc. The loss of sea ice threatens Canadian wildlife like the Polar Bear which are WHOLLY DEPENDENT on the Arctic sea ice habitat for survival-YES 100% dependent! My heart breaks……….