Something Important is Happening Right Now; Are You Paying Attention?
Photo by Crystal Jo on Unsplash
I was recently Facetiming my daughter who’s away at college and as I was listening to her, I saw a monarch butterfly flitter past in the background. I noted it and looked back at my phone screen. About 30 seconds later, another one goes by heading in the same direction. I immediately cut her off and said, “I just saw two butterflies in less than a minute!” Way to model active listening skills there, Hal.
After a couple more went by, I realized I was watching the Eastern monarch migration and I was getting a front row seat in this fly by parade. This made me happy and sad at the same time.
Happy because I think they’re a pretty marvelous insect. I mean the whole goofy-looking caterpillar transformation into a vibrant butterfly thing is just amazing. The sadness comes from rarely seeing butterflies in nature these days because as a society, we are causing a decline in their existence. We spray the crap out of weeds and use pesticides on lawns, crops, and playgrounds which But all of that comes with a price.
Per the Center for Biological Diversity:
Monarchs have lost an estimated 165 million acres of breeding habitat in the United States to herbicide spraying and development. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed, but the plant has been devastated by increased herbicide spraying in conjunction with corn and soybean crops that have been genetically engineered to tolerate direct spraying with herbicides.
In addition to glyphosate, monarchs are threatened by other herbicides and by neonicotinoid insecticides that are toxic to young caterpillars and decrease the health of adult butterflies.
I highlight this because this is where the heartbreak comes in. The article, dated in March of 2020, shared this heartbreaking statistic: the yearly count of monarchs migrating to Mexico was down 53% this past year. There were some weather-related reasons for this major decline but there has actually been a steady decline for the past 20 years.
Did you know they travel from the north down to the southwestern part of Mexico as soon as the days start to shorten and the temps start to cool? They travel around 3,000 miles! Another fun fact: monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains winter on the coast of California. Now you do. :)
Normally, monarchs only live 2-6 weeks but this “super” generation that migrates lives up to 8 months. They wait out the winter then head up to warmer climates like Texas to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. I’ve seen about 25 or so of them fly by our home since Sunday but would have missed them all if I hadn’t looked up. So now, I nerd out every day on my back patio waiting and watching for more “entries’ in my little butterfly parade. 🤓
There are a few important reasons why I’m pointing out the monarch migration and their dwindling numbers to you:
Butterflies are important to the ecosystem because they help pollinate plants and are an important part of the food chain. We can help out by adding milkweed in our planters next spring. But it’s suggested to keep them in containers because they can grow quickly and aggressively.
A decision is going to made this December on whether to give them protection under the Endangered Species Act.
To encourage you to take more moments in life to look up. Whether it’s looking skyward for migrating butterflies in fall, observing your/neighborhood kids at play, or just watching the clouds go by. Life is passing us by, literally. I can’t think of a more mindful exercise to help “be here now” than this.
Resources/More Information
If you’d like to know more about how you can help increase the butterfly population, here are some links to check out.
Gardenista- Growing milkweed and which kind for your area
Sign this petition to help protect the Monarch butterflies
More information on the Monarch migration to learn more facts about this phenomenon happening right now!
MOST IMPORTANT: Sign this petition to ban glyphosate in order to save butterflies, many other helpful insects/animals, as well as OURSELVES. We are all in this together!