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Wildlife migrations are a joyous signaling of the changing seasons. Where I live, summer days are long and hot. But, finally, in early October, I’ll catch a first glimpse of a monarch butterfly floating effortlessly in a southerly direction. And it makes my heart smile. Their arrival is like the return of an old friend. With the return of these amazing animals, I know the winds are shifting and autumn days are near.
If you pay attention, migrating birds and butterflies become a welcome sight. You’ll have your finger on the pulse of seasonal changes and be in the know. Whether you’re exhausted from the relentless heat of summer or in the throes of the winter doldrums, animal migrations are a sign that change is coming. Unfortunately, populations of our migratory friends have been decreasing due to habitat loss and climate change. And even though it is known as one of the most incredible wildlife migrations in the world, there are less and less monarch butterflies floating in the skies.
The good news is there are things YOU can do to help make sure we keep seeing these harbingers of spring and fall. In this post, you will learn a little about monarchs’ natural history and 3 ways to help these gorgeous insects. And don’t worry, they’re all really easy!
3 Ways to Help Monarchs
- Plant milkweed where you can,
- Plant nectar producing flowers and plants,
- Share your plant seeds with others in your area!
Milkweed, Milkweed, Milkweed
You may think you’re a picky eater or you know someone that is a picky eater. But monarch caterpillars are so picky they will only eat one thing, milkweed! Female monarchs will only lay their eggs on milkweed. They’re just being good mommas, because when the eggs hatch the larvae, called caterpillars, have plenty to eat.
Luckily, there are more than 70 species of milkweed native to the United States. Different types of milkweed plants grow in different regions throughout the country. What’s amazing is that each type of milkweed grows and flowers at different times so monarchs always have habitat for egg laying during migration.
Leaving Winter Behind
The vast majority of monarchs spend the winter in the high mountains of Michoacan in central Mexico. They roost in great clusters on oyamel trees. These trees are also called sacred firs. Resting by the thousands, they huddle closely together to maintain warmth. Monarchs arrive at their winter retreat during the month of October. Their return to these mountains coincides with local Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Local cultures believe that the butterflies are the souls of their ancestors returning for a visit.
Remaining populations of monarchs spend winters in southern California. They can be found from San Diego to Santa Cruz and down the Pacific coast. They find rest in Monterey pines, eucalyptus, and Monterey cypresses. And then in late March, warm winds sweep up the mountains and the Pacific coast.
Changing seasons. Warmer temperatures generate a stir among the giant hanging clusters of the semi-hibernating butterflies. Soon, they will leave winter behind and begin their journey north.
East or West
On wingspans of only 3 to 4 inches, monarchs fly up to 3,000 miles as they journey north from their wintering grounds in central Mexico. The monarchs that head north to find milkweed hidden in prairies and meadows are known as Generation 1.
Generation 1 butterflies have a choice of flight path. They can choose to migrate east or west. Heading north through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona they must decide which side of the Rocky Mountains to spend the summer.
Generations Rely on Milkweed
Generation 1 is special. These monarchs can live up to 9 months which gives them ample time to find milkweed habitat to lay eggs for the next generation. The next generation of adults have much shorter lifespans. They live anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks and continue to journey north. It takes 3 to 4 generations to reach Canada and all of these butterflies will need milkweed to continue the population!
Read more about the life cycle of monarch butterflies and the importance of milkweed here.
Butterfly Markets
Long ago, America’s Great Plains were painted with the purples, pinks, yellows, and oranges of native wildflowers. Today, millions of acres of historically wild, colorful meadows have been replaced by organized rows of commercial crops. Natural prairies and meadows provide habitat for monarchs and hundreds of other species. Unfortunately, the removal of prairie ecosystems for agricultural land has been hard on the monarch population.
By planting milkweed you are providing food and habitat for monarch eggs and caterpillars, but the adults need different food. Adult monarchs feed on nectar from flowering plants. Gardens are literally butterfly markets! Coneflowers, thistle, sage, and goldenrod are just a few examples of plants that produce nectar to sustain monarchs during spring and summer. You can grow a variety of nectar producing plants to be enjoyed by adult monarchs and more beautiful pollinators!
Nectar for the Journey
If you work any type of 8-hour shift, at about the 5 or 6 hour mark you may be craving some kind of sugary snack to get through the rest of the day. For instance, you might reach for a coke which has about 10% sugar by volume. Monarchs are the same!
Nectar is a sugary substance produced by flowers as a reward for pollinators. The percentage of sugar in nectar ranges from 10 to 50%! Just imagine your coke being 5 times sweeter! For adult monarchs, nectar serves as their main food source which fuels their epic cross-country flight.
What to Plant?
Unlike their picky progeny, adult monarchs will eat nectar from a wide variety of flowers. That means you can plant a beautiful variety of flowers in your garden or in containers to stock your butterfly market. For best results, plant flowers that are native to your region. Not only will they grow more easily, which means less work for you, but they will attract more butterflies.
If you are not a gardener, no problem! Your local garden centers will have plenty of information about what to plant to attract and feed butterflies. A great online resource is the Xerces Society.
As an organization dedicated to protecting pollinators, they provide tons of resources including plant lists to help people cultivate pollinator friendly spaces. I highly recommend you take some time to review their regional plant lists. You can download the list for your region making it even easier to plan your butterfly market.
Share the Love
Alright! You have planted the local milkweed in your yard or garden alongside some nectar-producing flowers. But what if you are the only house on the block or in the whole neighborhood growing these monarch essentials? The world is vast and monarchs have far to travel. If there are large swaths of land without food or habitat they will either perish or fly to other places.
You have to share the love. Many people are not aware of the pending endangered status of the monarch butterfly. They may also be unaware of the importance of milkweed to the monarch life cycle or how they can help. But you can change that! You can offer cuttings from your own plants or neighbor-to-neighbor give the gift of milkweed seeds. With just a little education and information you can cultivate a monarch habitat in your neighborhood!
Grow Your Own Knowledge
Connecting to nature means building an intimate knowledge of the land. A good place to start is where you live! I recommend keeping a field journal. Field journals can help you learn about native plants and animals. More importantly, field journaling is a way to keep track of changes happening in the landscape throughout the year. For more on field journaling, try my Guided Field Journal and get the kids involved with the Explorer Field Journal!
Another great resource is the book Gardening for Butterflies published by the Xerces Society. This book will help you plan for a butterfly market wherever you live and whatever amount of space you have available! If you don’t think of yourself as a gardener, start small and give it a try! Every little bit helps these amazing insects complete their incredible journey.
Keep Monarchs in Our Skies
For the most part, we humans are permanent residents of the places we choose to live. We don’t pull up stakes to migrate at the first signs of the changing of the seasons. Rather, we wait out each season, perhaps longing for nature’s changes from one season to the next.
Personally, after a hot summer I long for the refreshing feel of the cool fall air. I don’t despair though because I know when I see the brilliant orange and black wings of a monarch that summer is on its way out. Monarchs, hummingbirds, American robins, and other migratory animals are reminders to be joyous! Changes are coming and the Earth and your spirit will be renewed.
I want everyone to have the chance to see these amazing animals make their journey north and south! Try at least one of these 3 ways to help endangered monarchs! Now is the time to get those milkweed seeds planted!
Be more outdoors. Embark, explore, and enjoy the changes of the season!
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