Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. In early December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is going to decide whether the monarch should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. If that comes to pass, the migratory butterfly would be one of the most widespread species to receive this listing. Want to hear more on the animals that surround us? Email us your ideas to [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Emily, hello.
Lately, we've been thinking about monarch butterflies. Every year, millions of these orange butterflies venture across North America. There's an eastern monarch population that winters in the mountains of Mexico. and a Western population that shelters along the Pacific coast of California where you live, Nate. Have you seen any California monarchs this year?
One of my dog's like favorite parks is right next to these big eucalyptus trees that the monarchs overwinter in. And it's very cute. You know, he's like prancing around in the dewy grass in the morning light. But it's also like terrifying, right? Because I'm like, dude, do not catch one of those monarch butterflies. And thankfully he is not.
Every one of those monarch butterflies is becoming increasingly precious for reasons that we are going to be talking about today.
Yeah, absolutely. And that's because, as you well know, Emily, monarch populations here on the West Coast and pretty much like everywhere in North America have plummeted over the last few decades. And that's because of three big reasons. Habitat loss, the loss of overwintering sites and milkweed habitat, milkweed being the plant that they depend on. The second one is pesticide use.
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