monarch butterflies

Monarch butterfly (Photo: Wikimedia user Rhododendrites CC 4.0)

Scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature recently downgraded the monarch butterfly’s status to endangered — their populations had plummeted by more than 95% and, despite an uptick in recent counts, their numbers remain precarious today.1       Monarch butterflies could disappear from our skies for good. Despite these grim numbers, the United States still hasn’t issued protections for these butterflies. If […]
Monarch butterfly (Photo: Pixabay)

We can all act to save monarchs in our own homes and communities by planting native milkweed. Here are answers to Environmental Action supporters’ most frequently-asked questions! Each year, monarch populations are plummeting. Roughly 99% of western monarchs have disappeared — that’s millions of missing butterflies.1 We can all act to save monarchs in our own homes and communities by planting native […]

By Jennifer Newman, content creator In the 1980s, about 4.5 million monarch butterflies wintered in California. This year? There were only about 30,000. I grew up in the Bay Area in the 1990s—monarchs were an important part of my childhood. I want them to be a part of my children’s memories, too. Seeing a monarch butterfly takes me right back to being a […]
Thank you for standing up for the planet this Earth Day.

We have some great news to share about our work to save monarch butterflies and put the planet over plastic this Earth Day. We were able to hit our $15,000 fundraising goal! The generosity of supporters like you will enable us to keep standing up for wildlife and wild places, including: Putting the planet over plastic by working to put a […]
Monarch butterfly (Photo: Erin Wilson, Unsplash)

The population of monarch butterflies spending the winter in California is now less than 0.5 percent of its historical size — and this year’s population is down by roughly 86 percent compared to 2017.1       We could lose monarch butterflies if we don’t act soon. This June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will decide whether they’ll list monarch butterflies under the […]
Monarch butterfly (Photo: Erin Wilson, Unsplash)

At Environment Action, we think monarch butterflies rule. They’re an important pollinator, but that’s not all. Will you help save these beloved butterflies?   These tiny, beloved butterflies are a cheerful reminder of the beauty of our natural world. And — unfortunately — our monarchs are becoming more scarce. Today, you can help us protect the habitat they need to survive their […]
Woman and dog on a mountain (Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash)

In this week’s social shares: the toxic legacy of coal ash, endangered species protections for monarch butterflies and more.   Social Shares for Facebook Social Shares for Twitter .@washingtonpost: Trump administration moves forward with Arctic oil plan wildlife staff deem ‘not adequate’ ▶️ more: https://t.co/fYJKLOE9cX ◀️ Seismic testing can frighten polar bear mothers, causing them to abandon vulnerable cubs to die. pic.twitter.com/lUWzGp6tAB — Environmental Action (@EnviroAction) August […]
Monarch butterfly (Photo: Wikimedia user Rhododendrites CC 4.0)

Monarch butterflies are precious — and we need to do everything we can to protect them. Add your name to our new petition for butterflies and help us make it clear to the US Fish and Wildlife Service that the public is on the monarchs’ side. The Threat to Monarch Butterflies Monarch butterflies need our help — since 1990, nearly 1 billion […]
Monarch butterfly (Photo: Pixabay)

This year, measurements of the overwintering monarch population in Mexico showed yet another season of decline: Monarchs covered 14.7 percent less acreage in Mexican forests than they did last year. Monarchs have been vanishing—they’ve lost 90 percent of their population since their peak in the 1990s. One of the significant reasons? Monarchs are losing their caterpillars’ main source of food, […]

To save monarch butterflies, Environmental Action supporters have submitted more than 30,000 public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency calling for a ban on the main chemical in Roundup, glyphosate. The chemical is destroying the milkweed these butterflies need to survive. And we can’t stop now if we are going to save our monarchs from extinction. Monsanto and other powerful companies […]