I was listening to the Science Friday podcast this morning, and they were talking about butterflies.
I almost skipped ahead to the next episode, because butterflies are terrifying.
But I gave it a chance and was upset by what I heard.
Monarch butterflies are fascinating. They migrate down to Mexico every fall, and then every year on March 21, they leave to come back north. They usually have a life span of a few weeks, but the generation that migrates lives like, three times as long. (I'm not going to fact check that, because it would involve going to a website about butterflies and seeing scary pictures.)
They go to the same places in Mexico every year, and scientists have been tracking this for about 20 years (I think.) They have seen a steady decline in the number of monarchs making it to Mexico, and then, in 2010, there was a terrible storm that killed a lot of them. Like, dead butterflies 3 feet deep completely covering this area of land. (I'm going to have nightmares about this. Seriously.) The main reason so many died is because of deforestation. They hang out in pine trees down there, which protect them from the elements. But trees are being cut down, so when this storm came, they weren't protected, and they got wet in the rain, and then it got cold overnight, and the frost froze their wings and killed them.
So depressing, right?
One way we know that the population is shrinking is by how many acres they are occupying in Mexico. They have to measure area, because the butterflies are so dense, it's nearly impossible to count them all. (The thought of this makes my skin crawl.) When they first started measuring, the main area they occupied was 52 acres. Last year, their main area was just 2.94 acres. There were 17 main spots that they used to go to. Now, they're down to just 8.
Another cause of this problem is the evil entity that is Monsanto. Round-Up kills milkweed, which is what the monarchs need to survive. (Don't even get me started on that bill Congress passed that protects Monsanto.) So, when the zoologist on Science Friday was asked what we can do to help, he said, "Plant milkweed!" He proposed planting milkweed in our yards and along highways.
So let's do it! Let's plant milkweed! (Here in Chicago, not in Phoenix, so I won't be terrorized by monarchs in my future home.)
I don't have a yard, but I will ask my parents to plant some.
And I think those of us who don't have yards should do some monkeywrenching and plant milkweed all over the place. I mean, look how pretty it is! We'd be making the world more beautiful AND saving the monarchs.
I'm going to order some seeds and do some planting before I move. Let me know if you want to join me!
I almost skipped ahead to the next episode, because butterflies are terrifying.
But I gave it a chance and was upset by what I heard.
Monarch butterflies are fascinating. They migrate down to Mexico every fall, and then every year on March 21, they leave to come back north. They usually have a life span of a few weeks, but the generation that migrates lives like, three times as long. (I'm not going to fact check that, because it would involve going to a website about butterflies and seeing scary pictures.)
They go to the same places in Mexico every year, and scientists have been tracking this for about 20 years (I think.) They have seen a steady decline in the number of monarchs making it to Mexico, and then, in 2010, there was a terrible storm that killed a lot of them. Like, dead butterflies 3 feet deep completely covering this area of land. (I'm going to have nightmares about this. Seriously.) The main reason so many died is because of deforestation. They hang out in pine trees down there, which protect them from the elements. But trees are being cut down, so when this storm came, they weren't protected, and they got wet in the rain, and then it got cold overnight, and the frost froze their wings and killed them.
So depressing, right?
One way we know that the population is shrinking is by how many acres they are occupying in Mexico. They have to measure area, because the butterflies are so dense, it's nearly impossible to count them all. (The thought of this makes my skin crawl.) When they first started measuring, the main area they occupied was 52 acres. Last year, their main area was just 2.94 acres. There were 17 main spots that they used to go to. Now, they're down to just 8.
Another cause of this problem is the evil entity that is Monsanto. Round-Up kills milkweed, which is what the monarchs need to survive. (Don't even get me started on that bill Congress passed that protects Monsanto.) So, when the zoologist on Science Friday was asked what we can do to help, he said, "Plant milkweed!" He proposed planting milkweed in our yards and along highways.
So let's do it! Let's plant milkweed! (Here in Chicago, not in Phoenix, so I won't be terrorized by monarchs in my future home.)
I don't have a yard, but I will ask my parents to plant some.
And I think those of us who don't have yards should do some monkeywrenching and plant milkweed all over the place. I mean, look how pretty it is! We'd be making the world more beautiful AND saving the monarchs.
I'm going to order some seeds and do some planting before I move. Let me know if you want to join me!
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