{"id":5063260,"date":"2025-02-28T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calatinonews.com\/?p=5063260"},"modified":"2025-02-28T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T08:00:00","slug":"western-monarch-butterfly-population-plummets-to-near-record-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/caln\/2025\/02\/28\/western-monarch-butterfly-population-plummets-to-near-record-low\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Monarch Butterfly Population Plummets to Near Record Low"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The number of migratory monarch butterflies that winter in California and inhabit the western Rocky Mountains has significantly decreased, according to a recent report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation recorded only 9,119 monarchs, the second worst year<\/a> in the organization\u2019s count.

This is an approximately 96 percent decline<\/a> from last year\u2019s count of 233,394 butterflies at 256 California overwintering sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fluorescent orange insect is known for traveling more than 3,000 miles<\/a> from the northeastern side of the United States and southeastern Canada to the southwestern forests of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rebeca Qui\u00f1onez-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, said climate change has \u201cdefinitely\u201d been a factor in affecting the population and its migration patterns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows<\/a> that capitalist economies like the one in the United States are the root causes of climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This economic system has increased greenhouse gas emissions, which lead to rising global temperatures and significant losses in biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other capitalist driven reasons for the species\u2019 decline are due to a loss in milkweed, (the butterfly\u2019s primary food source) as well as droughts, pollution, deforestation, disease outbreaks and pesticide use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qui\u00f1onez-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n says the western population of monarch butterflies in the United States is at a higher risk of extinction than the eastern population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is very important that we take action as soon as possible,\u201d she said in Spanish. \u201cThe western population is definitely in a quite critical situation, and the probability of extinction for that population is more than 99 percent within the next 60 years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Credit<\/strong>: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monarch butterfly is not currently on the endangered species list, but the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service<\/a> has proposed adding it to the list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By officially enlisting the species, federal resource revenues would be available for scientists to continue extensive conservation and coordination efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently accepting comments from the public to inform whether or not the monarch butterfly should receive federal protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community members can submit their comments here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final decision is expected to be announced in December this year, Qui\u00f1onez-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can save the species if conservation strategies are effective,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is why if the monarch is listed as a threatened species, it would help us a lot because the Endangered Species Act has a very, very, positive record for saving species.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Wildlife Fund<\/a>, 99 percent of the species on the list have avoided extinction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can do it,\u201d Qui\u00f1onez-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n said. \u201cBut we have to work as a community and we have to make sure that the species is protected under the Endangered Species Act.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile in the midwest, concerned monarch butterfly enthusiasts like Claudia Galeno-Sanchez, have been doing their part to raise awareness of the species\u2019 decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of her neighbors, the 47-year-old mother converted her Chicago home into a vibrant butterfly sanctuary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full article:<\/strong> \u2018We can\u2019t lose hope\u2019: A Pilsen Mother\u2019s Mission to Save Monarch Butterflies<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Claudia Galeno-Sanchez outside of her butterfly sanctuary home in Chicago, Illinois. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography:<\/strong> Jacqueline Cardenas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe monarch butterfly is like an icon, something that Mexicans identify with,\u201d Galeno-Sanchez said last summer. \u201cThe only difference between monarch butterflies and us as Mexicans, is that we do not have the freedom to cross borders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Zaya, a botanist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, previously said part of the species\u2019 decline is tied with the loss of natural grasslands across the state which makes it harder for milkweeds to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milkweeds are the only plant monarchs can lay their eggs on and caterpillars can feed on. Without it, they cannot complete their life cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of the milkweed in the state was in corn and soybean fields that 25 to 30 years ago had milkweeds in them and now they don\u2019t because the way that farming is done is different,\u201d Zaya said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more reliant on chemicals that remove weeds, including milkweed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her efforts, Galeno-Sanchez only has faded memories of a garden that was once filled with monarch butterflies fluttering their wings while resting on leaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year has really shaken me up in a way I didn\u2019t expect,\u201d she said in July 2024. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to see my garden empty, without monarch butterflies.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can donate to support Galeno-Sanchez\u2019s butterfly conservation efforts through the Working Family Solidarity\u2019s website here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt is very important that we take action as soon as possible,\u201d said Dr. Rebeca Qui\u00f1onez-Pi\u00f1\u00f3n, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5063263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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