Focus on Arts and Ecology

Plant native milkweed >

Dear Jon,

The monarch migration is one of nature's most incredible marvels. I'll never forget visiting the monarch overwintering site in northern Mexico, watching and listening to the orange beauties. This year, the number of monarchs arriving in those mountains dropped yet again. These incredible pollinators are in trouble. While monarchs face many threats, every one of us can do a simple thing to help them survive and recover: plant native milkweed. Milkweed is the only food of monarch caterpillars, and it is disappearing, falling victim to heavy herbicide use and monocrop agriculture.

Not all milkweed is alike: it is very important that you plant the species of milkweed native to your area and that you do not buy it from vendors who pre-treat it with pesticides. Our friends at the Xerces Society have all the resources you need to find milkweed native to your region. If you can't plant this spring, you can plan to plant milkweed seed this fall to aid next spring's migration. You can even plant milkweed in a pot or planter box.

In the coming weeks monarchs will embark on their return journey to the United States, and they'll need food and places to lay their eggs when they arrive. Planting milkweed is a simple action you can take to preserve an astounding natural phenomenon and create habitat for these important pollinators. Ask your friends, family, school, and community gardens to join you. Together, we can help save the monarch migration.