Migrating monarchs need our help. Even though monarchs are resourceful and adaptable, we need to help preserve and protect places where
they breed, travel, nectar, and roost. We can help protect overwintering grounds in Mexico and milkweed and nectar patches in the United States and Canada. We also need to help protect milkweed and nectar patches along the migratory path.
How Can You Help?
In
your own back yard there are simple things you can do to help
butterflies care for themselves:
Invite monarch butterflies (and other butterflies too) to your garden by providing
host plants, nectar plants, shelter and water. Butterflies need host plants to lay
eggs on as well as nectar plants for feeding. If we think about each stage of the
butterfly’s life cycle, we need enough host plants for females to lay their
eggs on and in sufficient amounts to carry the larva through its development period.
We also need shrubs and grasses to offer caterpillars places to form their chrysalis.
For the monarch, the chrysalis is formed on the milkweed. The adult butterflies will
also want to stay around longer if nectar plants and water and shelter are available.
What do butterflies do when it rains?
They can use any available shelter such as
under leaves, in trees, next to houses, or on stacks of wood or stones. Flowers that
are planted in clusters or clumps give butterflies protection from the wind.
Why do butterflies bask in the sun?
Butterflies need to warm themselves in order fly.
One way to do this is basking-or finding a warm spot in the sun. They prefer light
colored surfaces because sunlight is reflected from the surface and the insect is
warmed from below as well as from above.
Place a large light colored rock in your birdbath, or put a tray of moist sand outside
in your yard. This way, you can offer a place to bask, and a drink of water to the
butterflies.
Other ways to help preserve and protect
Families can participate in butterfly counts, and monarch tagging and monitoring.
You can find more information about these efforts in the Read and Research section
of this site.
Learn about other butterfly watchers, organizations active in observation and
conservation, and organize walks. Volunteer in local conservation efforts. You
can learn more about volunteer opportunities in your state by visiting the Nature
Conservation website and others provided in our links.
Take a trip to a butterfly garden, plant milkweed in your back yard or at your
school, start your own Monarchs and Milkweed club. Spread the word. Enter
our “Preserve and Protect Contests” at Show Your Stuff.
