It is need of the hour to conserve Monarch in Missouri

In the recent times, Monarch Butterfly population has improved. Monarch population is still facing threat but the risk is not high and there are chances of strong recovery, with efforts from locals and authorities. Recently, some scientists while scrutinizing the data on monarch butterflies revealed that there are more monarchs wintering in Mexico than thought before. However, Brice Semmens, Assistant Professor at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, asserted that the species is still in grave danger.

Monarchs depend on milkweed to reproduce, they only lay eggs on milkweed. Since people have been successful in eradicating much of the weeds, the monarch habitat is reducing and getting affected adversely. Semmens also added that the destruction of monarch habitat would trigger extinction of the butterfly in next 10 to 20 years.

The butterfly is already on the verge extinction as 85% of the species have disappeared. There is a way through which population of monarch could be encouraged. People who care about monarch should plant milkweeds as that could save them. In such a critical situation, Semmens believes that Midwest plays a crucial role in survival of monarch.

“If you look at where corn is grown, and where monarchs are in terms of density, there's almost perfect overlap. It really is that sort of corn-breeding ground, that really fertile Midwestern ground, and it's where we need to get milkweed back, in order to recover the monarchs”, said Semmens.

Already, efforts to reintroduce milkweed are progressing. The Missouri Department of Conservation is working with groups like Missourians for Monarchs and the Corn and Soybean associations to reintroduce milkweed in some areas. Such organizations are convincing homeowners to plant milkweed in their yards. A common milkweed grows up to six feet tall. It has large, broad leaves, usually four to ten inches long.