Updated December 2021 The monarch butterfly population in North America has plummeted in just the last few decades. Destruction of America’s grasslands ecosystems, commercial agricultural practices and even conventional gardening have … Read more
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High Stakes in Declining Monarch Butterfly Populations
As a child, I loved to spend my time chasing the majestic monarch butterflies as they danced around the woods and garden on my parents’ small farm in rural Georgia. Now … Read more

A Visual Journey Through the Monarch Life Cycle
Monarch butterflies have been in the news quite a bit recently, due to their rapid decline. In order to find ways to help, it’s essential to first understand the life cycle of … Read more

Get Ready For Monarch Migration
If you spot monarch butterflies in your yard this month, there’s a good chance the eggs these insects are laying now will develop into the generation of adults that have … Read more

From Presidents to Wildlife Gardeners, Monarch Butterflies Need All the Help They Can Get
It’s not often, if ever, that the White House convenes a meeting on the topic of insects. But that’s just what happened three weeks ago when John Holdren, director of … Read more

Where Are Migratory Monarchs This Fall?
Each fall at about this time, I try to spend a weekend at the Black Walnut Point Inn on Maryland’s Tilghman Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Located on the southern … Read more

Monarch Butterflies in a Changing World
On a recent trip to California, I stopped by Natural Bridges State Beach, a lovely seaside protected area in Santa Cruz that’s best known for the monarch butterflies that overwinter there. … Read more