Saving the monarch butterfly

[Jayfar]

North American Leaders Urged to Restore Monarch Butterfly’s Habitat | NYTimes.com

[Tindomul]

Hi guys. I was pretty angry at the pleight of the Monarch for the last 4 months or so. According to monarch census, only 3 million made it back to Mexico for the Winter. Last year 60 million made it back. Thats a 95% loss!!!!!!!

Then ofcourse we had to have one of the coldest winters in recent times. Monarchs depend not only on a well forested wintering grounds to keep out the cold, but also on each other's biomass to keep each other warm. With so few making it to Mexico and it being so cold, I wonder how many actaully survived this winter. I don't know what the temps have been like in Mexico this year though, but I am willing to be they have been colder than usual.

[Leafmite]

That is why we need to encourage people to do something quickly! :0
Yes, it is rather awful what has happened. I had no idea it was this terrible until this autumn. I was hoping that the orchid board members would be willing to join together and save them. It was worth a try. :|

[AnonYMouse]

What is the caterpillar distribution?

[Ordphien]

My local nursery got some milk weed varieties on order for me.

I'm seeing an average of 5 monarchs a day here.
Anybody know the population count on the group that winters here in California?

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[Leafmite]

I am so glad that you are seeing monarchs!
Thank you so very much for helping them.
I don't know the counts but as for distribution, it varies, depending on the time of year. They go South for the winter and then in the spring begin to disperse across the United States and into Canada. They usually arrive here in Ohio at the end of June or early July.
Thank you, again, for your interest in helping them.

[AnonYMouse]

I looked up info on two "preserves". One is the Santa Cruz location I mentioned earlier and they get about 100,000 butterflies. A bit farther south is the Pacific Grove site that gets 15k. Apparently, they migrate from the Rockies.

Since they are adults when migrating to overwinter, I was wondering where they were born. I guess somewhere between the Rockies and the Pacific.

[Leafmite]

They lay eggs all along their journey, wherever they find milkweed.

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

They lay eggs all along their journey, wherever they find milkweed.

They die shortly afterwards, no Monarch butterfly lives long if it's in the cycle of going north during the summer.

[Leafmite]

I thought that was the case but I wasn't certain. Thanks!