A monarch butterfly feeds on swamp milkweed in Connecticut. Photo by Victor Quintanilla.

This visit, however, turned out to be disappointing. Though the boardwalk leading down to the protected monarch grove looked just as I remembered it, I spotted only a handful of butterflies flitting among the eucalyptus and Monterey pines that once teemed with them. A reserve employee suggested I drive about a mile south to Lighthouse Field State Beach, a more open area bordered by roads and houses and visited by large numbers of bikers, dog walkers, beach goers and surfers. Some monarchs, in fact, were there—at least several hundred clustered in a small, roped-off grove of pine and eucalyptus. Why had the insects moved down the road to this apparently less hospitable habitat?

John Dayton, a San Jose State University biologist conducting a survey of the colony at Lighthouse Field, provided an answer.  During the 1990s, Dayton told me, a deadly fungal disease, pine pitch canker, killed off most of the large Monterey pines that had sheltered the monarch grove at Natural Bridges from strong winds. Without this windbreak, many of the large eucalyptus trees at the northern portion of the grove blew down during winter storms. The loss of these trees has degraded the roost area, forcing monarchs to seek shelter elsewhere beginning about mid-December.

But Dayton had even more troubling news: Since the mid-1990s, he said, the number of overwintering monarchs up and down the California coast has declined by nearly 90 percent. According to the Xerces Society, butterfly populations at Natural Bridges alone have dropped from about 120,000 in 1997 to just over 1,000 (when the insects are there at all).

Two monarch caterpillars nibble on a milkweed stem. Photo by Larry Lynch.

Dayton, Taylor and other scientists point to several culprits. In California, coastal development and habitat degradation have reduced the area suitable for overwintering monarchs. In Mexico, illegal logging, poorly regulated tourism and water withdrawals near the butterfly colonies are taking a toll. Last year, when monarchs headed north to feed and breed beginning in March, they encountered extreme drought and heat waves that persisted in some areas from spring through fall.

Throughout the butterflies’ North American range, declines in milkweed plants—which monarchs need in order to reproduce—also are knocking down the insect’s numbers. The problem is particularly acute in the U.S. Midwest, where genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant corn and soybeans now allow farmers to apply the chemicals broadly, wiping out milkweed that once thrived between crop rows and in fallow fields on millions of acres of agricultural land.

According to an article in the April/May 2013 issue of National Wildlife magazine, climate change may worsen the monarchs’ situation. In her story, “Catering to Butterfly Royalty,” writer Doreen Cubie reports results of experiments suggesting that as atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide continue to rise, milkweeds are likely to produce less of the toxic compounds that protect both butterflies and caterpillars from predation. Milkweed leaves also may get tougher. “Caterpillars would have a harder time chewing the leaves,” says ecologist and study author Rachel Vannette of Stanford University.

Cubie concludes her text with a hopeful message: While there’s not much an individual can do about effects climate change may have on butterflies in the future, she writes, “there is a simple way to help today’s monarchs. You can grow more milkweeds in your garden.”

Find out about five native milkweeds that are easy to cultivate, then help butterflies and other backyard wildlife by turning your property into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® site.

1. Create a butterfly garden.

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard is to plant nectar-producing flowers that have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Plant them in a sunny spot in a group so they grow in clusters.

You can also bring butterflies to you by mashing up fruit and sugar and smearing it on a rock, tree, or other surface in your yard.

Make your garden as butterfly-friendly as possible by putting out a shallow pan of wet sand or mud for them to sip from, and by providing a few rocks they can use to bask in the sun.

2. Sing a song about butterflies.

While you’re hunting for butterflies or working away in your butterfly garden, pass the time by singing a tune about butterflies. Get the lyrics to “Blue Butterfly,” sung to the tune of “Baby Mine,” on our website, or get creative and make up your own.

3. Make a butterfly you can eat.

Fresh fruit is the perfect springtime snack, so use your imagination to whip up a fruity butterfly treat. Use two halves of a pear or a few apple slices for the wings, and for the body try a piece of celery, a carrot, or a banana. Celery or carrot strips also work great for the antennae. Decorate your butterfly with raisins, cereal, cherries, or anything else you like.

For another butterfly recipe, try making butterfly muffins.

4. Learn some fun facts.

Did you know that a butterfly can’t fly if its body temperature falls below 86°F? Or that they drink the tears of turtles? And they use their feet to taste? Curious kids can learn more by checking out this butterfly article from Ranger Rick Jr. and butterfly fact sheet from Ranger Rick.

5. Get crafty.

Use a coffee filter, a pipe cleaner, and pom-poms to make a beautiful butterfly that won’t fly away. Here’s how:

• Decorate the coffee filter with markers and then spray it with water.
• Once it dries, wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the filter.
• Glue pom-poms onto the clothespin and clip the clothespin to the filter.
• Bend the pipe cleaner to make the antennae.

More butterfly crafts:

• Folded Paper Butterfly
• Butterfly Pencil Topper
• Caterpillar Transformation Craft

Find more fun crafts, recipes, and activities in the Family Fun section of our new Kids website.

Photo by Matt Sullivan

See more of Matt Sullivan’s photos on Flickr >>

Your Photo Could Be Here

We want one of your nature photos to be the next Photo of the Day! Share your images with our Flickr group and tag them with PhotoOfTheDay-NWF12.

Don’t have a Flickr account? It’s free and easy to create one.
 

American lady butterfly taken in Permaquid Point, Maine. Photo by Katherine Davis.

Buggy Photo Tips

How to Photograph Insects — Pro photographer Rob Sheppard shares tips for taking photos of insects, spiders, and other tiny creatures.
 

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

We are in the home stretch of Garden for Wildlife Month! This week, we are featuring backyard flora and fauna that are yellow–a happy and joyful color.  (Did you miss last week’s color? View the BLUE blog here.)  Does your backyard play host to any of these golden gems?

These photos were donated by past participants in the National Wildlife® Photo Contest. To enter your photos in this year’s contest, visit the contest site.

View the Special Anniversary Issue Slideshow: 50 Years of Incredible Images

Western Tanager

The red pigment in the face of the Western Tanager is rhodoxanthin, a pigment rare in birds. It is not manufactured by the bird, as are the pigments used by the other red tanagers. Instead, it must be acquired from the diet, presumably from insects that themselves acquire the pigment from plants. (Photo: Jim Brown)

Aspen

Aspen has been traditionally reputed in many countries to drive off evil spirits, hence it was often planted near dwellings. (Photo: Chad Martens)

Cape May Warbler

The average clutch size of the Cape May Warbler (six) is greater than that of other warblers. This large clutch size may allow Cape May Warbler populations to expand rapidly during outbreaks of their preferred prey, spruce budworms. (Photo: Michael Henry)

Jumping Spider

The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species,making it the largest family of spiderswith about 13% of all species. (Photo: Jeffery Waldorff)

American Goldfinch

Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect. (Photo: Christine Adachi)

Monarch Caterpillar

A Monarch caterpillar can eat enough milkweed in one day to equal its own body weight. Just 9 to 14 days after hatching from its eggs, a caterpillar will grow to about 2 inches long. (Photo: Andrew Halverson)

Yellow Warbler

Life can be dangerous for a small bird. Yellow Warblers have occasionally been found caught in the strands of an orb weaver spider’s web. (Photo: Steven Manly)

Tiger Swallowtail

There are more than 550 species of swallowtail butterflies around the word. Altough the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica. (Photo: Marty Bays)

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for causing hay fever in humans. The pollen causing these allergies is mainly produced by ragweed which blooms at the same time as goldenrod but is wind-pollinated. Goldenrod pollen is too heavy and sticky to be blown far from the flowers, so is mainly pollinated by insects. (Photo: Weg Thomas)

Black-Eyed Susan

The Black-Eyed Susan has been the official flower of Maryland since 1918 when it was designated the "Floral Emblem" of Maryland by the General Assembly. (Photo: Marvin De Jong)

It’s not too late to make your yard wildlife-friendly during Garden for Wildlife Month! Create an official Certified Wildlife Habitat® site before the end of May and we’ll plant a tree in your honor!>>

For now, I’d like to accentuate the positive. NWF has been working hard to make sure wildlife is represented  - read our 2012 Farm Bill priorities to learn more. We were pleased that one of our priorities – protection for native grasslands through a Sodsaver provision – was included in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s bill. I have written before about Sodsaver, a provision that will limit federal subsidies on native grassland converted into cropland.

Native grassland is an extremely valuable and under-appreciated biome in the US. I grew up a stone’s throw away from the Appalachians, and I remember clearly the first time I drove across the plains states. I had never seen the horizon so far away before, and the land stretching out flat, or slightly rolling until it met the sky. I have only recently started to learn how many amazing plants and animals live in the grasslands – like prairie chickens and Sandhill cranes.

5 Grassland Species

Here are 5 species that can thank the Senate Agriculture Committee for protecting their homes by including a Sodsaver provision – how many of these species did you already know? How many more can you name?

Black-footed ferret. Photo by Ryan Hagerty for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Prairie kingsnake. Photo: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Snakes are key predators and an important part of prairie ecosystems. Prairie kingsnakes are common grassland snakes that come in a variety of shades of grey to brown. They are non-venomous and they don’t usually bite, but they shake their tales if they feel threatened.

Pronghorn antelopes. Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Regal fritillary butterfly. Photo: flickr, Bill Bouton

Butterflies that depend on prairie habitat are in decline, in Europe as well as the US. Many insects, including important pollinators, depend on grasslands to survive.

Burrowing owl family. Photo: flickr, Annette’s photography

 Burrowing owls, like prairie dogs and ferrets, live in underground burrows (hence the name). Burrowing owls are also unique because they are often active during the day.

Did you already know these animals?  Can you think of any more?  If so, send us a comment through the feature below!

Butterfly alighting on a fellow traveler (Photo: Anne Senft)

Dolphins – Dolphins are considered lucky in many different cultures. For Christians and Native Americans, the dolphin is a symbol of protection, and its image is said to bring good luck. The belief stems from the fact that ancient sailors who spent months or even years away from land found the sight of dolphins swimming around their ships to be the first indication that land was near.

Red Bats – In China, red bats are symbols of long life and amulets are worn as lucky charms that bring happiness. The red bat is thought to ward off evil. Five red bats can also represent the “five good fortunes” of health, longevity, love, wealth and virtue.

Crickets – A cricket on the hearth has been a sign of household luck for thousands of years. In the Far East as well as across Europe, it’s considered very bad luck to kill a cricket, even by accident. And, besides being good luck charms, crickets can also tell you the temperature.

Tortoises – Tortoises are considered a good luck symbol in Feng-Shui decorating. The tortoise is one of the four celestial animals in feng shui; the others are dragon, phoenix and tiger.

Scarabs- Dating back to Ancient Egypt, scarabs have been considered symbols of the rising sun and a protector from evil. The scarab is also a symbol of rebirth, regeneration and transformation.

Photo: Donated by Tianne Strombeck

Symbolically adopt a frog, dolphin or tortoise, by visiting NWF’s Adoption Center.

Attract butterflies, frogs and other wildlife to your backyard through NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitat(r) program.

Source: 50 Good Luck Symbols From Around The World

When I think of conservation successes, I think of the bald eagle.  While the Endangered Species Act was critical for the eagle’s recovery, we also need to thank the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. 

When the grant program was created in 2000, states like Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky and Maine used it protect eagle nesting habitat and monitor eagles.  State and Tribal Wildlife Grants have played an important role in helping keep eagle recovery on track.

However, bald eagles are just one type of wildlife that is benefitting from this program.  You don’t have to look hard to see how State and Tribal Wildlife Grants are helping wildlife in your own state.

Photo courtesy of John C. Moerk

• In Minnesota, grants are restoring oak savanna for the Karner Blue Butterfly.
• In Idaho, grants are used to enhance sage grouse habitat and study the pygmy rabbit.
• In Georgia, grants are putting bog turtles back into the wild.

Learn more about state wildlife grants in your state.

However, state wildlife grants need your help! The House of Representatives put State Wildlife Grants on the chopping block and completely eliminated the program in their budget.  Some members of congress are standing strong in support of the grants, but we need to make our voices heard and protect funding for this important program.

Urgent! Click here and personalize this message to tell Congress that State and Tribal Wildlife Grants are important to you and your state’s wildlife.

NWF has been hard at work with other members of the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition to make sure that the final government budget restores funding for this program.  So far:

1. In March, citizens from across the country came to DC to tell Congress how State and Tribal Wildlife Grants are helping wildlife in their state.
2. NWF held a press event with other conservation organizations and coalition members to protest conservation cuts.
3. Over 600 organizations from all 50 states have joined NWF in signing a letter to Congress opposing the elimination of State and Tribal Wildlife Grants.

Let’s keep fighting to keep common species common and protect our wildlife!

The International Union for Conservation of Nature documents more than 1,740,000 plant and animal species on our planet. Creeping and crawling invertebrates make up 1,305,250 of the total. That’s about 75 percent of all known life on earth!

It’s A Generational Thing

Monarch butterflies are known for their long migration from Mexico and Canada and back, but did you know that most monarchs don’t even make the entire trip? Monarchs that winter in Mexico start their migration to the southern United States during early spring.

During their rest stop, they have baby butterflies and die. Their offspring then move further north, breed, and die as well within only a few weeks. The cycle continues until the fall, when the last generation of monarchs makes the journey from Canada and the states all the way to Mexico—without ever having done this trip before.

Friends In Garden Places

Another beautiful insect that is fun to watch is the ladybug, a gardener’s true friend. Lady Beetles (also called ladybugs) have a voracious appetite and their meal of choice is the aphid. Aphids are a major pest to farms and gardens because they eat sap from plants and crops. Lady Beetles are a natural, organic form of pest management—they eliminate aphids without causing any damage to other wildlife.

A Garden Friend Who Lost Its Way

Earthworms are cherished by gardeners and farmers, but not all worms are good. The last retreat of the Ice Age eliminated earthworms from the Great Lakes region, thus the forest ecosystem evolved without worms. Today, invasive earthworms are eating up all the leaf litter and negatively impacting the ecology of Great Lakes forests and other forests across the United States.

Fun Facts

There are invertebrates whose scientific names are inspired by Harrison Ford, Darth Vader and Stephen Colbert.

Slugs are hermaphrodites.

The rhinoceros beetle is the strongest animal on Earth and possesses the strength to lift objects 850 times its own weight. To put this statistic in context, that’s like me picking up something that weighs 93,500 pounds. Wildlife is amazing!

Now Get Moving!

With Wildlife Watch, learn what types of invertebrates live near you and share your sightings and creepy crawly stories online with us!

Read What Are Bugs Worth? and then try your hand at capturing their image with NWF’s photography tips. Speaking of photography, find for the perfect place to snap photos of insects with Nature Find, NWF’s online database of nature sites and events across the country. All you need is a zip code!

Video – How to watch for wildlife:

References:

Popular Mechanics

Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Journey North

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

This weekend, my family and I enjoyed our outdoor landscape in many ways.

Watch this video >>

First, my friend, garden designer and writer, Starla J. King reminisced on my blog about a pot painting party with her niece, and I decided to give it a go. I gathered all of the paints and brushes for our “study/craft/kids everything room” with some newspaper, paper towels, a small bucket of water, and a trash bag, and we started painting on plastic pots we had in the closet.

The weather was great all weekend, so we had a weekend outdoor art studio, painting four or five pots, and even painting a friendship pot for my boys’ friend who is moving in a month, with each of their hand prints and signatures.

Sunday morning, my husband and the boys’ grandfather played touch football in the cool morning air while I weeded. I went on a bike ride with my older son, and then a walk with the dog, and the kids were playing soccer with their dad.

Then my five-year-old and I planted some “cool-season” vegetables in pots: scallions, radishes, and spinach and then we checked on the seedlings popping up from the pea, mescelun, and swiss chard seeds that we planted two weeks earlier in the raised garden beds on the side of the house.

Next, I offered for my five year-old to decide what to do. “Let’s play ‘I spy’,” he said. We sat in Adirondack chairs that I have in the front perennial garden bed, and watched the three purple aster plants bursting with color and countless butterflies, in all sizes and colors.

One of the reasons I love aster, native to North America, is how it fills up your garden bed with green in the spring and summer, and then bursts into show in fall. In late May or early June, you cut back the foliage by as much as two thirds (mums too, by the way), to have a fuller, sturdier base for the blooms. For the last three days, we’ve even had three orange monarchs enjoying the aster.

Just as catmint (nepeta) and salvia are butterfly-loving staples for the full sun and part sun spring and summer garden, aster is a butterfly-loving staple for the fall garden. All can be planted now. Have your kids design their spot (meaning, just put them in charge and let them create).

On occasion, I love going to the garden center with my kids after I pick them up from school. During the week, the garden center is not crowded, there is someone to help you, and you could even have a picnic dinner back at home while you create their garden. Low on time? You could even go buy the plants for your kids during a lunch hour and they can get started right away at home. If you want to influence where they dig, you can even pick together a ‘secret garden’ spot where you feel more comfortable giving them creative control and it has a cool name. That’s what I did!

I taught my kids how to prune the aster. Pull off the faded blooms (the ones that are shriveled up and brown); it helps new flowers grow.

As a family, we’ve seen so many cool things year-round in our yard like skinks (a lizard with a black upper body and electric blue tail), praying mantis, grasshoppers, and frogs. Why? Because we have done simple things in our yard that attract these beneficial creatures, giving them food, water, shelter, and places to raise their young. For example, a small water feature and native plants: perennials like aster, trees like evergreen foster holly, and shrubs like deciduous Virginia sweetspire that has beautiful fall color.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. For her weekly online video series, “Get Out of the House” as well as Starla J. King’s guest blog series “Savoring Summer,” visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.