Dear Guardian,
Let’s get ready for the return of the monarchs! Happy
National Planting Day, and a big welcome to Spring.
In April, monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico will
start their return to the United States, and they’ll need food, shelter, and
places to lay their eggs when they arrive. Milkweed is essential to their survival.
Pledge to plant a milkweed patch this spring and help monarchs
on their way!
Millions of these beautiful butterflies travel from as far
north as Canada to central Mexico each fall to spend the winter, and return to
their breeding range in the spring. The remarkable migration takes several
monarch generations.
Tragically, this amazing natural phenomenon is fading away. The
monarch population is declining and for the past two years, overwintering
numbers in Mexico were the lowest on record since monitoring began in 1994.
Monarchs need milkweed to survive. Milkweed is the only food
of monarch caterpillars. Sadly milkweed is disappearing, falling victim to heavy
use of herbicide and monocrop agriculture.
Without our help, the monarchs’ amazing migration may become
a thing of the past. Make space for monarchs when you plant your yard or garden
this year. Join us in taking the Monarch
Madness pledge to plant milkweed this year.
Our friends at the Xerces Society have all the resources you
need to find milkweed native to your region. Your school or non-profit can apply for free
milkweed plants from Monarch Watch. If you can’t plant this spring, you can
also plant milkweed seed this fall for next spring’s migration. You can even
plant milkweed in a pot or planter box. Together,
we can save the monarch migration!
