Buckley Space Force Base protects Monarch butterflies with new conservation efforts in Colorado

When you think of military bases, wildlife preservation may not come to mind, but they are actually very good stewards of the land, and it's no different at Buckley Space Force Base.

The grasslands where Buckley is located are just as important to them as the airspace the base controls because they are a vital part of the monarch butterfly's migration every year from Canada to Mexico. These days, though, large stretches of grasslands are hard to come by.

"There's several things that have contributed: climate change, habitat loss, particularly of grasslands through conversion to urban sprawl, introduction of invasive species, and also conversion to agricultural habitat," said Veronica Reed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist stationed at Buckley Space Force Base.

She says that means monarch butterflies are in danger.

"Over the last 20 years, their populations have been in decline. Last year was the second lowest on record," said Mercy Manzanares, the program coordinator for Monarch Joint Venture.

That's why last year Buckley Space Force Base decided it needed to support the monarchs the way it supports its aircraft all over the globe. 

Buckley Space Force Base has teamed up with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Monarch Joint Venture, and Monarch Watch to implement the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program and Monarch Watch Tagging Program on the installation.

That means members are restoring some of the open spaces to ideal monarch habitats and tracking butterflies as they pass through on their migrations, which is done by putting a sticker on them. 

Officials say this mission is just as important for our safety and security as any mission they undertake.

"80% of our grassland species or our natural ecosystems species need insect pollinators. In addition to the natural resources, it's also the food that we eat. Your tomatoes, your watermelon, any of the cucumbers that you're getting in your gardens have been pollinated by those species," said Manzanares.