Monarchs on the Move

Monarch on Salvia | Photo Credit Lyman Brown

Monarch on Milkweed | Photo Credit Lyman Brown

~Written by Mark Kramer

Imagine waking from a long winter’s nap and beginning a journey, a very long journey. In fact, a journey so long that it would take your lifetime and that of your children to complete it. It would even take the lifetime of your children’s children to complete it. All this with each individual weighing about half that of a dollar bill and traveling on wings as fragile as a butterfly. To make it more remarkable, the journey will take the travelers across three countries and from the southern part of the continent to the northern part of the continent------and then back again! Those remarkable travelers of time and space are passing through the Houston area and stopping over at ABNC right now.

In the midst of this challenging journey, Monarch butterflies are also in trouble. Their populations have plummeted over the last 20 years and experts believe that there are a number of contributing factors in their decline. Habitat loss is recognized as a top global ecological issue and the monarch has suffered those consequences too. Across the nation, what was once open prairie is now subdivision, parking lot, or shopping mall. Prairie habitats have been dramatically reduced. There has also been a radical change in agricultural practices over the past two decades. Our modern farming techniques now allow us to plant genetically modified crops that are resistant to herbicide. Corn, soy, and many other food staples can be treated with herbicide and still thrive while killing competitive “weeds”. While this is a miracle for farmers, it has devastated nectar-producing wildflowers and milkweed host plants along the Monarch’s vast migratory route. While experts continue to add to the list of human-caused threats contributing to the decline, it’s clear that current numbers have dropped well below the threshold for the population to potentially collapse into extinction. They are, in fact, a local poster child for the larger global extinction event that we have entered into.

These vulnerable travelers on the brink can be seen in the prairies of ABNC right now. Riding the southerly breezes, Monarchs are stopping in to refuel on the nectar-rich prairie wildflowers and on critical milkweed host plants. The best viewing opportunity is from the Prairie Observation Platform. This panoramic view is one of the rarest remaining in Harris County with a viewscape of 300 acres of coastal tallgrass prairie. Much of this view is rich with the prairie wildflowers grown in the ABNC native plant nursery. In fact, the coastal tallgrass prairies of ABNC are recognized by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Monarch “Way Station”. Your continued support of natural areas ensures that they have a chance for the future.

Support future generations by considering an ABNC membership (abnc.org/membership). Membership will offer free admission for the family for this beautiful viewing experience. Your continued support of natural areas ensures that they have a chance for the future. You may further support future generations by considering a donation to ABNC (abnc.org).  Enjoy this spectacle by visiting the nature center in the spring.