Nate Rott

Pun excused. And we look at the challenge of protecting a species that's habitat could be your backyard.

It kind of depends on the time of year, right? Like, so these are migrating species. So there's times where there's tons of them here in coastal California and there's times that there's fewer. We are now entering the time of year where there are a lot of them because we're entering winter. I recently took a trip to another park, not the one where my dog chases butterflies, but

It kind of depends on the time of year, right? Like, so these are migrating species. So there's times where there's tons of them here in coastal California and there's times that there's fewer. We are now entering the time of year where there are a lot of them because we're entering winter. I recently took a trip to another park, not the one where my dog chases butterflies, but

It kind of depends on the time of year, right? Like, so these are migrating species. So there's times where there's tons of them here in coastal California and there's times that there's fewer. We are now entering the time of year where there are a lot of them because we're entering winter. I recently took a trip to another park, not the one where my dog chases butterflies, but

With a couple of biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And I got to learn, like, all sorts of cool things about monarchs. Like, did you know that milkweed, the plant their larvae eat, is toxic?

With a couple of biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And I got to learn, like, all sorts of cool things about monarchs. Like, did you know that milkweed, the plant their larvae eat, is toxic?

With a couple of biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And I got to learn, like, all sorts of cool things about monarchs. Like, did you know that milkweed, the plant their larvae eat, is toxic?

So this is Karen Sinclair, by the way. Whoa, so they're just low-grade poisoning themselves to not taste good?

So this is Karen Sinclair, by the way. Whoa, so they're just low-grade poisoning themselves to not taste good?

So this is Karen Sinclair, by the way. Whoa, so they're just low-grade poisoning themselves to not taste good?

So I had no idea about this. But the reason that I met with Karen wasn't like, you know, I didn't want to just pocket a bunch of fun pub trivia facts. I met with her because Karen trains volunteers to count monarch butterflies at overwintering sites in Ventura County every year. And it's those types of counts that are really providing the data to show that monarchs are in trouble.

So I had no idea about this. But the reason that I met with Karen wasn't like, you know, I didn't want to just pocket a bunch of fun pub trivia facts. I met with her because Karen trains volunteers to count monarch butterflies at overwintering sites in Ventura County every year. And it's those types of counts that are really providing the data to show that monarchs are in trouble.

So I had no idea about this. But the reason that I met with Karen wasn't like, you know, I didn't want to just pocket a bunch of fun pub trivia facts. I met with her because Karen trains volunteers to count monarch butterflies at overwintering sites in Ventura County every year. And it's those types of counts that are really providing the data to show that monarchs are in trouble.

So scientists think today we only see about 5% of the number of monarch butterflies that used to be on the West Coast. That's how far the Western population has dropped. The Eastern population of monarchs have dropped by about 80%.

So scientists think today we only see about 5% of the number of monarch butterflies that used to be on the West Coast. That's how far the Western population has dropped. The Eastern population of monarchs have dropped by about 80%.

So scientists think today we only see about 5% of the number of monarch butterflies that used to be on the West Coast. That's how far the Western population has dropped. The Eastern population of monarchs have dropped by about 80%.

It's a ton. So that is why there's been this huge push from wildlife groups and insect advocates to try to get the monarch butterfly listed under the Endangered Species Act. And after 10 years of pushing, the Fish and Wildlife Service is now facing a court-mandated deadline to make a decision by December 4th.

It's a ton. So that is why there's been this huge push from wildlife groups and insect advocates to try to get the monarch butterfly listed under the Endangered Species Act. And after 10 years of pushing, the Fish and Wildlife Service is now facing a court-mandated deadline to make a decision by December 4th.

It's a ton. So that is why there's been this huge push from wildlife groups and insect advocates to try to get the monarch butterfly listed under the Endangered Species Act. And after 10 years of pushing, the Fish and Wildlife Service is now facing a court-mandated deadline to make a decision by December 4th.

Emily, do we know anything about anything? True. True.