Photo: GG PDP Content
Monarch Butterflies Are Back And Beating Last Year's Numbers
Timothy Roberts
One interesting thing about monarchs is that they make a trek to a specific location in Mexico every year. The numbers are counted to ensure that the monarch's population is doing well, but there are times when things don't look as good as they could.
Photo: Pexels/John Barnard
In 2021, scientists enjoyed the monarch butterflies' rebound and were quite excited about it. The population seems to be doing well, even though it has dropped in recent years.
In order to get the annual western monarch count, 272 different sites across coastal California are surveyed. The survey takes place in November and December, and their other sites in California and Arizona.
According to AP News, in the end, 335,479 monarchs were able to be counted. In Santa Barbara, 130,000 butterflies were reported, and in San Francisco, more than 8,000 butterflies showed a comeback from previous years.
In 2020, the number had dropped to some 2,000 and it had scientists concerned. However, thanks to the count of 335,479, they are back to where things are considered normal.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, a conservation biologist, Emma Pelton, said: "We can all celebrate this tally. A second year in a row of relatively good numbers gives us hope."
Some storms that recently hit California could affect monarch butterflies. Some of them were blown from clusters, making them vulnerable to cold temperatures.
Photo: Pexels/Skyler Ewing
Managing the groves is one way to ensure that monarchs are here every year. There are also some things you can do individually to help monarch butterflies:
1. Plant native milkweed
2. Don't use pesticides
3. Plant nectar plants native to your area
4. Contribute to community science projects that track monarch butterflies.
When we pull together, we can make a difference.
