Western Monarch Butterflies Overwintering In California Dropped By 30% Last Year, Report Finds

[TTL News 308]

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The number of western monarch butterflies overwintering in California dropped by 30% last year, likely due to how wet it was, researchers said Tuesday.

Volunteers who visited sites in California and Arizona around Thanksgiving tallied more than 230,000 butterflies, compared to 330,000 in 2022, according to the Xerces Society, an environmental nonprofit that focuses on the conservation of invertebrates.

The population of orange and black insects has rebounded in recent years to the hundreds of thousands after it plummeted in 2020 to just 2,000 butterflies, which was a record low. But even though the butterfly bounced back, its numbers are still well below what they were in the 1980s, when monarchs numbered in the millions.

 

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[Chris 2,162]

It’s kinda frightening what’s happening to our insect population, and not just the pollinators.

Theres a small patch of roadside land less than a 1/4 mile from us that is loaded with milkweed. And despite it being private property, the county sees fit to mow it down every year. I’ve thought about approaching the landowner about buying that section of property. What I may do is email the county to ask if it’s necessary or did the owner request it?

[Adam 373]

i sent Rodney a message with an outlined image of the area. asked if maybe the county could skip mowing there late may through september since its a thick area of milkweed growth

 

[Chris 2,162]

13 hours ago, Adam said:

i sent Rodney a message with an outlined image of the area. asked if maybe the county could skip mowing there late may through september since its a thick area of milkweed growth

It was pointed out to me that being where the former roadway was ( and still showing of remnants of it now ) that it is, in fact, county property. Not private property as I'd thought.