Monarchs show change can happen one garden at a time

A year or two ago, the news about monarch butterflies was dire. Thousands were found dead in California and the population at wintering sites in Mexico was the lowest in recorded history, barring another year a decade earlier. It was proposed that monarch butterflies be added to the U.S. Endangered Species List. 

But then, unexpected good news: Last winter’s population was 64% higher than the previous winter and slightly above the decade-long average.

And the unsung heroes behind this recovery are gardeners. Across the country, gardeners planted with butterflies in mind, growing native milkweed plants and a wide range of nectar-rich plants that bloom from early spring until frost. Those butterfly gardens that have popped up in home and public gardens are a key factor in pausing the decline of monarch butterflies.

It’s a testament to the power of collective action: Thousands, not millions, of people dedicating a bit of space to gardens full of plants providing important food sources for all life stages of butterflies.

And then there were the people who weren’t gardeners but loved butterflies. They collected striped monarch caterpillars and protected them in mesh butterfly cages, collecting milkweed to feed the larvae, watching them form chrysalises and setting the hatched butterflies free.

There are other nature-led small gardening movements such as those encouraging homeowners to leave some leaves in their yards for overwintering insects, reduce the size of their lawns and add native keystone plant species. 

All of these initiatives seek to correct problems that can seem insurmountable. The population of insects, which are crucial to everything from pollination to the food web to soil health, dropped more than 70% in 20 years, according to a University of North Carolina study. 

With statistics like that, it can be easy to think that one person can’t make a difference. But the upturn in the monarch population proves otherwise. A relatively small number of people, just a tiny fraction of American homeowners, planted with butterflies in mind, and within a couple years the change was noticeable.

There are, of course, contributing factors. The number of monarchs counted in Mexico is determined by how the population fared over the previous three breeding generations and how successful they are in migrating, and in addition to the habitat provided by gardeners, weather conditions including drought, predators and pesticide use can all be contributing factors.

And while the most recent monarch population report is excellent news, the monarch population, which is still down about 85% from its peak in 1996, has a long way to go before anyone can rest easy.

Clearly there’s work to be done, but consider how very small actions — milkweed and long-season nectar-source plants added to gardens, a reduction in pesticides use by home gardeners and families raising caterpillars — made a headline-grabbing difference.

It’s proof that big change can happen, one small garden at a time.