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By Emmy Ulmschneider, Master Gardener
On his last visit, my brother brought me an envelope of old elementary schoolwork papers from our family home in northern Ohio. I did not remember writing these essays, but one of them, written in school age cursive stood out. Reading it made me realize why the Monarch butterfly is so important to me: my passion for Monarchs goes back over sixty-five years. In this essay I wrote:
“Most people see butterflies a little at a time never do they find them in large numbers. But when evening comes, they (Monarchs) start to gather at one bush or tree until every leaf is covered with monarchs. This is a very pretty sight.”
And when my own family or my fourth-grade students occasionally got to experience this sight, I felt the magic return. But it happens less frequently now as the Monarch population numbers continue to decrease. Although the most recent population numbers for the eastern migrating Monarchs are not yet in, the western Monarch population which once numbered in the millions was estimated, this winter season, at 9000 individuals, the second lowest count on record.
As we wrote in our previous Monarch blog article, (See https://www.westtexasgardening.org/post/monarchs ) the process of listing the migrating Monarchs under the Endangered Species Act is underway. I attended one of virtual public comment sessions which started with general information about the two monarch populations, their life cycle, what a listing entails and went on to explain about what steps could be taken to provide adequate protection for the Monarch as a threatened species. The comments covered a wide range of issues, and I felt that so many individuals have also felt the monarch magic.
My takeaway from the questions and answer period was this question and answer:
Why is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing to list the monarch butterfly as threatened?
“Monarch butterfly populations are in peril. Based on scientific information, summarized in our species status assessment, migratory monarchs in North America are declining and are projected to continue declining over the next 60 years. Our assessment is based on evaluating the following threats: the ongoing impacts from loss and degradation of breeding, migratory, and overwintering habitat; exposure to insecticides; and effects of climate change. Probability of extinction for the eastern migratory North American population ranges from 56 to 74% by 2080. And in the west, by 2080, the probability of extinction is greater than 99%.”
It makes me sad to know that my grandson, growing up in California, will likely never experience the Monarch Magic that his mother and grandmother did. I can only hope that it is not too late for those of us who live east of the Rockies.
You can read the proposed rule or see some of the 34,000 comments that have already been at:
And you can add your own comment until March 12, 2025.
The final determination will be made based on the proposal, the comments, and any additional information that becomes available. You have a voice in this process, so make your voice be heard.
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on “Resources”.
Monarchs in her yard
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