How to help monarchs thrive

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, monarch populations have declined significantly over the past several decades due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. In fact, the eastern population has dropped by about 80 percent since the 1990s.

And yet – there is hope.

Recent monitoring shows monarch numbers are beginning to increase after years of decline.  New reports estimate migratory monarch butterfly populations increased 64% after years of decline, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Here are a few easy ways to help monarchs thrive:

1. Plant milkweed: Monarchs depend on milkweed to survive.  Caterpillars can only eat milkweed and adult females lay eggs exclusively on these plants. Find the best type of milkweed for your garden by consulting an expert at a local plant nursery, read the Monarch Joint Venture's PDF titled Plant Milkweed for Monarchs or visit xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder/ to find plants native to your area.
2. Create a pollinator-friendly flower garden: Flowering plants are best for providing the nectar monarch butterflies need for fuel.  To determine which flowering plants attract butterflies in your area, look for plants with tags labeled butterfly friendly at your local garden center or visit pollinator.org/guides.
3. Select a variety of colorful plants that bloom at different times throughout the season so there's always something serving up nectar to hungry butterflies in spring, summer and fall.  Check plant tag labels for bloom periods to plan your garden design. 
4. Avoid treating your flower garden with pesticides.
5. Join a citizen science program: Volunteers play a key role in tracking and protecting monarch butterflies across North America. By gathering data on breeding patterns, migration routes, and overwintering sites, they help fill important gaps in scientific understanding.  For details on how to get involved, visit Monarch Joint Venture's website.
6. Share the plight of monarchs: Our children's science book, MIMI the Monarch, is perfect book for exploring the wonder of monarchs with young readers. The book is filled with vibrant photographs offering a closeup view of monarchs in all stages of their lifecycle on Mackinac Island along with a rhyming story and field notes from co-author Natalia Wohletz's study of monarch habitats on Mackinac Island for Kalamazoo College and the Mackinac Island State Park.

    

7. Visit a butterfly house: Next time you visit the island, learn more about butterflies at Mackinac's two butterfly houses: The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Wings of Mackinac. They're both loaded with fluttering butterflies sipping nectar from flowers in colorful tropical gardens.

   We hope you're inspired to learn more about the plight of monarchs and to create a butterfly garden this season. Best of luck as you water, weed and watch your garden grow!