How YOU Can Help!

One of the most unique ways that you can help protect monarch butterflies is by create a monarch waystation. Started by the program Monarch Watch, a monarch waystation is similar to a butterfly garden, but it is a garden designed in a specific way to provide a rest stop for monarch butterflies. They provide monarch butterflies with nectar sources, host plants to lay their eggs on, and shelter for rest during their long journeys. To create and certify a monarch waystation, there are certain guidelines that have to be met. These guidelines, according to Monarch Watch on their "Monarch Waystation Program" page, include the following:

Garden Area: The area of the Monarch Waystation must be at least 100 square feet.

Sunlight Exposure: The Monarch Waystation needs to be able to be exposed to at least six hours of sunlight per day.

Soil: The best soil for a Monarch Waystation is one with high permeability, avoiding soils with mostly clay in them.

Milkweed Plants: A Monarch Waystation must have at least 10 milkweed plants and two or more species of milkweed.

Nectar Plants: Monarch Waystations need other plants, including a variety of annuals, biennials, and perennials.

Sustainable Practices: At least one sustainable practice should be employed to keep a Monarch Waystation healthy.

To find out more information about making and certifying a Monarch Waystation, visit https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/.

As described in the "Threats to Monarchs" page, the use of toxic pesticides on milkweed plants is harmful not only to milkweed plants, but to monarch butterflies as well. Try to not apply pesticides on milkweed plants. Reducing pesticide use will allow for an abundant source of milkweed for female monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on and for monarch caterpillars to consume. In fact, if you see milkweed as a pesky plant to your garden or backyard, the act of monarch caterpillars consuming these weeds can eliminate the milkweed from your property, while the caterpillars can grow with a heathy food supply. Therefore, reducing the use of pesticides is one important way for you to help monarch butterflies.

Another great way to help monarch butterflies is to grow them yourself. You can order monarch caterpillars to be shipped to your house from many organizations, including one organization known as Monarch Watch. For instance, Monarch Watch allows you to purchase a rearing kit on their shop page at this link here: https://shop.monarchwatch.org/product/Rearing-Kit/113232. Rearing monarchs from young larvae to adult butterflies can help contribute to the recovery of monarch populations. In addition, when you grow monarch butterflies, you can also have the opportunity to tag monarch butterflies. Tagging monarch butterflies can help organizations such as Monarch Watch track the movement of monarch butterflies. You can be part of the Monarch Watch tagging program by going to their website address here: https://monarchwatch.org/tagging/.

Instead of trying to destroy milkweed, you should purchase milkweed from your local garden center. In addition, you can also order milkweed plants from other organizations supporting the recovery of monarch butterfly populations, including Monarch Watch's Milkweed Market at https://shop.milkweedmarket.org/. Buying more milkweed allows more milkweed to be grown, increasing the food supply for monarch butterflies. This allows monarch caterpillars to have a sufficient amount of their host plant to grow and reproduce off of, helping monarch butterflies.

Reducing your fossil fuel consumption reduces the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. Less greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reduce the greenhouse effect, reducing the amount of global temperature warming occurring worldwide. This reduces the phenomenon of anthropogenic climate change, including a reduction in the ability for monarch butterfly parasites such as the fungus Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (O.E) to infect monarch butterflies. Therefore, ultimately reducing the impact of this parasite from infecting monarch butterflies by ultimately discouraging anthropogenic climate change can help sustain monarch butterfly populations.