It is clear and quite scary to think about how fast the monarch butterfly population is declining (Migration of Monarch Butterflies Shrinks Again Under Inhospitable Conditions, New York Times, Jan. 29). At the same time, the smallest effort can help conserve their population.
The Monarch Waystation Program, initiated by Monarch Watch, emphasises the importance of restoring milkweed plants wherever possible.
Across Canada and the United States, we are witnessing the widespread loss of milkweeds, particularly across the central and eastern states, which coincide with the monarch migration route. Monarchs expend a great deal of energy and are very fragile. So, they engage in a gliding strategy to travel great distances. This means they can only afford to stop when they can eat as well.
By eliminating milkweed plants, we are limiting the monarchs’ capacity to replace themselves, as milkweed is the plant they lay their eggs on. Efforts such as planting milkweeds in small patches of land have the potential to assure preservation and continuation of this species and should be given greater importance especially at their declining rate.
Urvashi Vyas
B.Sc. Candidate
Department of Biology