8.a) Monarch Waystations BrochureWhy We Are Concerned
Milkweeds and nectar sources are declining due to
development and the widespread use of herbicides
in croplands, pastures and roadsides.
Development (of subdivisions, factories, shopping
centers, etc.) in the U.S. consumes habitat for
monarchs and other wildlife at a rate of 6,000 acres
(9.4 square miles) a day, 2.2 million acres per year.
This is roughly equivalent to losing an
area of habitat the size of the state of Illinois
(the 24th largest U.S. state) every sixteen years!
Widespread adoption of herbicide -resistant corn and
soybeans has resulted in the loss of more than 100
million acres of monarch habitat in recent years. The
planting of these crops genetically modified to resist
the non-selective systemic herbicide glyphosate
(Roundup®) allows growers to spray fields with this
herbicide instead of tilling to control weeds. Milkweeds
survive tilling but not the repeated use of glyphosate.
This habitat loss is substantial since these croplands
represent a significant portion of the summer breeding
area for monarchs.
The use of herbicides and frequent mowing along
roadsides has converted much of this habitat to grassy
areas that lack shelter and food for wildlife. Although
some states have started to increase the diversity of
plantings (including milkweeds) along roadsides,
these programs are small. Unfortunately, the
remaining milkweed habitats in pastures, hayfields,
edges of forests, grasslands, native prairies, and
urban areas are not sufficient to sustain the large
monarch butterfly populations seen in the 1990s.
Monarchs need our help.
What You Can Do
To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar
sources we need to create, conserve, and protect
monarch butterfly habitats. You can help by creating
"Monarch Waystations" in home gardens, at schools,
businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along
roadsides, and on other unused plots of land.
Creating a Monarch Waystation can be as simple
as adding milkweeds and nectar sources to existing
gardens or maintaining natural habitats with
milkweeds. No effort is too small to have a positive
impact.
Native Milkweed Species
When planning the restoration of large areas, it is
important to plant milkweeds that are native to your
region of the country. This is not as crucial in a
backyard or schoolyard garden; however, native
plants typically require less maintenance and offer
a greater benefit to local wildlife.
We have defined four eco -regions for milkweeds.
For each region we list milkweeds that are preferred
by monarchs and relatively easy to establish in
gardens and fields. This information is provided in
greater detail on our website.
Northeast Region — common milkweed, swamp
milkweed, butterfly milkweed, poke milkweed.
South Central Region — antelope horn milkweed,
green antelope horn milkweed, zizotes milkweed
Southeast Region — aquatic milkweed, white
milkweed, butterfly milkweed
West Region — showy milkweed, antelope horn
milkweed (only in NV, AZ, NM, CO, ID, KS, & OK).
Please consult our website for milkweeds to use in
California and Arizona.
Monarch Waystation #1015 — Photo by Stephanie Baker
The Value of Monarch Waystations
By creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation
you are contributing to monarch butterfly
conservation. Your efforts will help ensure the
preservation of the species and the continuation of
the spectacular monarch migration phenomenon.
Without a major cooperative effort to create,
conserve, and protect monarch habitats, the
monarch butterfly population will continue to decline.
Certify Your Monarch Waystation
To show your support of monarch conservation,
you can have your monarch habitat certified as an
official Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch.
Your habitat will be included in the International
Monarch Waystation Registry and you will be
awarded a certificate bearing your habitat's Monarch
Waystation ID number. You may also choose to
display a weatherproof sign that identifies your
monarch habitat as an official Monarch Waystation.
This display helps convey this important monarch
conservation message to all those who visit your
habitat and may encourage them to create their
own Monarch Waystation.
Monarch Waystation Habitats
Monarch Waystations are places that
provide resources necessary for monarch
butterflies to produce successive
generations and sustain their migration.
Without milkweeds throughout their
spring and summer breeding areas in North
America, monarchs would not be able to
produce the successive generations that
culminate in the migration each fall.
Similarly, without nectar from flowers,
these fall migratory monarch butterflies
would be unable to make their long
journey to overwintering grounds in
Mexico. The need for host plants for larvae
and energy sources for adults applies to
all monarch butterfly populations around
the world.
Flowers of seven milkweeds found in prairies
Monarch Conservation
Each fall, hundreds of millions of
monarch butterflies migrate from the
United States and Canada to mountains
in central Mexico where they wait out
the winter until conditions favor a return
flight in the spring. The monarch
migration is truly one of the world's
greatest natural wonders yet it is
threatened by habitat loss at over-
wintering grounds in Mexico and
throughout breeding areas in the United
States and Canada.
Visit us online for complete information
about monarchs and the educational,
conservation, and research projects
managed by Monarch Watch:
www.MonarchWatch.org
Monarchs in Mexico
This brochure was created and funded by Monarch Watch and the
Monarch Joint Venture as part of a nationwide effort by Monarch
Watch, the Monarch Joint Venture, and the Xerces Society to restore
monarch habitats.
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Additional information on monarch conservation can be found at
www.monarchiointventure.org
Brochure design donated by Ron Brancato — bmncatocreative.com
02010 Monarch Watch. This brochure is also available online in a
format suitable for online viewing or printing. It may be reproduced
and distributed in its entirety.
Thank you for your support!
Conserve
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