This excellent coverage of the state of the Monarch butterfly migration ran on CBS news March 25 and featured our friend, Bill Toone of the Ecolife Foundation. Bill was visiting the preserves at the same time we paid our respects earlier this month. On our last day there, Bill gave the interview you see in the video clip.
Monarch butterflies making “colorful comeback”
While the news item was generally positive, Bill pointed out how important it is to put this “comeback” in perspective, since last year was the worst year on record for butterfly counts.
According to the CBS report, 140 million acres of milkweed, the Monarch’s breeding habitat, have been destroyed in the last 16 years. That’s an area three times the size of Illinois. Statistics like these make us even more impressed with the Monarch’s resilience and tenacity.
Makes me want to go out and plant more milkweed.
Actually a question! I bought a milkweed plant in a pot this spring. Never got around to planting it, so it still sits in a pot next to my garage door. A couple days ago, I noticed TWO good sized monarch caterpillars munching on it. The plant isn’t very big, so I worry that the caterpillars will not have enough food. Should I move the pot to the back yard where I have other milkweed and butterfly bushes – where I have never seen a monarch? Or should I leave well enough alone?
Ringwood, NJ