Monarch Butterflies

April 8, 2021

Question: What is CDFW’s role in helping conserve monarch butterflies?

Answer: The Western population of migratory monarch butterflies has seen staggering declines over the past 20 years, from over 4 million in the 1980s to fewer than 2,000 individuals in the most recent census conducted in winter 2020-21. In California, monarchs are designated by CDFW as a terrestrial invertebrate of conservation concern and as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
Monarch Butterfly photo by Hillary Sardinas

To help kick-start recovery efforts, CDFW is enhancing over 1,700 acres of our properties throughout the state, with funding received to support the Governor’s Biodiversity Initiative as well as the Wildlife Conservation Board. Monarch caterpillars can only use milkweed as their host plant; therefore, we are focusing on creating breeding habitat by planting regionally appropriate milkweed species. Western monarchs overwinter in groves of trees along the California coast, migrating to breeding sites throughout the west in the spring. CDFW is also adding flowering plants which provide the nectar that helps fuel this long-distance migration.

Because they are highly mobile, monarchs are widespread in the state: present in urban, natural and agricultural areas. We need an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to help save the species in the west. While it is prohibited to remove monarchs from the wild in California, there are many ways for the public to get involved in recovery efforts. We encourage planting native milkweed species and native flowering plants, especially those that bloom in the early-spring or late fall. You can also contribute to community science projects Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper and the Western Monarch Count to help researchers gather data that can inform our conservation decisions.

Thanks for the info Howard.  My wife love Monarch butterflies.