Monarch butterflies now endangered, face risk of extinction
ROSEVILLE, Minn. -- Nature conservation groups are ringing the alarm about the possibility of monarch butterflies being gone for good.
The iconic insect was named to a watchlist Thursday of species facing extinction.
It was disheartening news for volunteers with Monarch Joint Venture, a national non-profit working to conserve monarchs.
Every week, they track populations in Roseville's Falcon Heights Community Park.
"We are looking at every milkweed plant, and we examine every leaf and we're looking for eggs or larva," said Marti Starr, a volunteer.
The volunteers monitor in pairs, counting and recording their findings.
Bev Blomgren, another volunteer, says she does it because, "As I've gotten older, I've been paying more attention to what's around me, and everybody loves butterflies."
After years of plummeting population numbers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added monarchs to its Red List of species facing extinction.
"As we converted those [natural] landscapes for urban development, agricultural development, we lost a lot of that native grassland habitat that supports our pollinators," said Wendy Caldwell, the executive director of Monarch Joint Venture.
Caldwell says the effects of climate change like drought, heat, and winter storms have also disrupted monarchs' annual 3,000-mile migration.
She's hopeful though because the watchlist designation will increase awareness of the urgency of the situation.
Caldwell says creating monarch habitats is the most important conservation effort.
"That includes habitat that has native wildflowers and most importantly, milkweeds."
Starr and Blomgren say they've both grown gardens with pollinator-friendly plants.
Anyone can help monitor the population too. After completing an online training course, you can check your own backyard or neighborhood and submit the data.
"We need all hands on deck," Caldwell said. "We need everyone to play a role."