Pollinator News – Monarch Butterflies
Rallying to Protect the North American Monarch Migration
Forty years ago, in 1970’s southern Ontario it could be argued that butterflies, monarchs in particular, were the most populous of insects excluding ants. Today that is not the case. These days it is an unexpected pleasure to see a monarch butterfly.
People have been asking: where did the monarchs go?
With a bit of research, it becomes obvious that today’s farming and maintenance practices are so efficient that we have wiped out the monarchs’ principal food source and habitat – milkweed plants. In fact, for many decades milkweeds were considered noxious weeds so it was mandated by government to cut them down. Today we pay the price.
Monsanto’s Roundup and Roundup Ready seeds are part of that deadly efficiency. Roundup kills all plants except for those genetically-modified to be Roundup tolerant. Over the past decade Roundup has been extensively used by farmers effectively helping to decimate milkweed growth.
Monarchs* can live up to nine months and migrate between Canada, United States and Mexico. The migration arrives in Mexico from late-October to March (article).
There are two north/south legs to the migration: west coast (via California) and east coast.
* Note that there are monarchs in other countries so there is little risk of monarch extinction. However, monarchs in the Caribbean for instance do not migrate. The North American monarch migration is at risk, perhaps also indicating risk for other species.
News - Monarch Butterfly (most recent first)
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Date yyyy-mm-dd |
Source |
Title |
Comment |
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2020-09-18 |
EcoWatch / The Conversation |
Monarch Butterflies’ Spectacular Migration Is at Risk – An Ambitious Plan Aims to Save It |
The Conversation |
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2020-06-08 |
Nevada Today |
Milkweed, only food source for monarch caterpillars, ubiquitously contaminated |
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2020-04-23 |
Youtube / Nature on PBS |
Nature on PBS |
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2020-01-21 |
TheDailyBeast.com |
Monarch Butterfly Activist Missing in Mexican Cartel Country |
Pilar Melendez - Homero Gomez |
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2019-08-04 |
CBC.ca |
A flicker of hope in the insect world: Firefly, monarch butterfly numbers up, say Ont. researchers |
Kate Bueckert |
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2019-06-24 |
Sciencemag.org |
Elizabeth Pennisi |
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2019-03-13 |
EcoWatch / Olivia Rosane |
‘Absolutely Magical’: Southern California Sees Largest Painted Lady Migration Since 2005 |
Olivia Rosane - Painted lady butterflies in California |
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2019-02-15 |
Associated Press |
Locals find monarch colony in Mexico after years long search |
Christopher Sherman |
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2019-01-31 |
EcoWatch / Center for Biological Diversity |
- 6.05 ha of occupied forest in 2019 vs 2.48 ha in 2018 vs 21 ha in mid-1990s. |
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2019-01-29 |
Lewiston Tribune |
Jerry Painter |
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2019-01-06 |
SFGate.com |
Study: Number of monarch butterflies in California declined by 86 percent in one year |
Michelle Robertson |
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2018-11-08 |
ScienceDaily |
Florida monarch butterfly populations have dropped 80 percent since 2005 |
Florida Museum of Natural History |
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2018-07-24 |
New York Times |
Lincoln Brower, Champion of the Monarch Butterfly, Dies at 86 |
Neil Genzlinger |
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2018-03-06 |
Globe and Mail |
Extreme weather, forest loss behind sharp drop in monarch butterfly sightings |
Michelle Alaimo |
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2018-03-02 |
EcoWatch / Environment Defense Fund |
Groundbreaking ‘Airbnb for Butterflies’ Now Open for Business, Donations |
www.monarchhabitatexchange.org |
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2018-03-01 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
Dicamba Drift Could Put 60 Million Acres of Monarch Habitat at Risk |
Lorraine Chow |
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2018-02-02 |
Xerces Society |
News release |
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2017-11-09 |
University of Guelph |
Not All Milkweed Is Equal for Egg-Laying Monarchs, U of G Study Reveals |
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2017-10-30 |
Journey North / learner.org |
Elizabeth Howard |
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2017-10-27 |
CBC News |
Thousands of monarch butterflies could be stranded in Canada by cold weather |
Associated Press - Point Pelee National Park |
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2017-02-15 |
USA Today |
There will be fewer monarch butterflies this year. 22 million fewer. |
Doyle Rice |
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2016-12-12 |
Charlie On Travel |
Charlie Marchant |
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2016-11-01 |
The Monitor |
Kristian Hernandez |
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2016-09-07 |
EcoWatch / Care2 |
Alicia Graef |
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2016-08-23 |
TheGuardian.com |
Storms devastate monarch butterflies' forest habitat in Mexico |
Associated Press |
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2016-08-10 |
EcoWatch / Care2 |
Susan Bird - California Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor hirsuta) |
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2016-07-06 |
E360.yale.edu |
Christian Schwӓgerl |
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2015-06-02 |
BeeCulture.com |
CATCH THE BUZZ – Monarch Migration Gets a Boost from Ohio Collaboration |
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2015-04-04 |
Independent Science News |
New Research Links Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Monarch Butterfly Declines |
Jonathan Latham, PhD |
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2014-12-01 |
CBC News |
Milkweed touted as oil-spill super-sucker — with butterfly benefits |
Margo McDiarmid |
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2014-07-12 |
Toronto Star |
Antonia Zerbisias |
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2013-11-22 |
New York Times |
Jim Robbins |
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2013-11-20 |
Windsor Star |
Sarah Sacheli |
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2013-09-24 |
Huffington Post / CBC |
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2013-07-10 |
Yahoo News Canada |
Scott Sutherland |
More Information: Bees & Other Pollinators News
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Disclaimer: This information has been compiled through private amateur research for the purpose of allowing the reader to make an informed and educated decision. However, while the information is believed to be reliable, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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