Migration season is blooming and all the monarch butterflies are spreading their wings. In eastern Nebraska, this amazing species has been declared protected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Nebraska Wildlife Federation is an association which takes care of reinstating population swarms of butterflies. Late in the summer and early in the fall, monarch butterflies fly across the country, following Nebraska on their route to the West.
- Monarch butterflies are soon to become an endangered species.
- People have planted milkweed to make their population prosperous.
In winter, the monarch butterflies gather up in a single bundle in the mountains situated in the West of Mexico City. Due to surveys which are annually conducted by the experts, we found out that monarch butterflies’ numbers have been constantly diminishing during the last 20 years.
To figure out their number, experts need to analyze the amount of land explored by the monarch butterflies. In 2000 the number of acres measured over 22. Thirteen years later this space was reduced to two acres. That is a very rapid drop in the number of pollinators existing in the US. This is a fact observed by Lindsay Rogers. She is a specialist from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. In the past year, the number has poorly increased, because the monarch butterflies population is still less than half their number from 10 years ago.
The way in which authorities can help nature is through planting milkweed. The adults from this species only lay their eggs on this type of plant. Milkweed is very strong in front of herbicide showers. That is way farmers use it for untainted fields of soybeans and corn.
In order to complete the annual migration process, the monarch butterflies need various generations of the species to be sent away. That is why it has been argued that milkweed, although encourages the multiplication of the species, is not enough to provide their food. Other flowers which are edible for the species need to be planted too, for an increase in monarch butterflies population.
Last week, many Wildlife Federation volunteers helped those from Cornhusker Council Boy Scouts to plant hundreds of flowers and plants, involving milkweed, in the garden at the Scouts’ Outdoor Education Center from Walton. This beautiful garden of 2,200 square feet was conceptualized by Ben Vogt who opened his own business called Monarch Gardens.
What would you do for this amazing creatures not to become extinct?
Image source: wikipedia
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