States Aid Monarch Butterfly Migration with Roadside Habitats
Eastern monarch butterflies have begun their annual 2,000-mile migration south through the central U.S. to overwinter in Mexico. States are actively assisting this migration by planting milkweed and native plant habitats along roadways. This initiative stems from a significant decline in monarch populations, which reached a record low in 2013, with their overwintering grounds in Mexico shrinking from 50 square acres to fewer than three. The Obama administration formed a task force to address this decline, leading to the idea of creating monarch habitats along interstate highways. While the initial "Monarch Highway" project along I-35 faced funding and priority challenges, states like Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa have independently embraced the concept. Illinois, whose official state insect is the monarch, has established the Route 66 Monarch Flyway, and Missouri has the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail. Iowa has been reintroducing native plants along roadsides for decades, providing crucial habitat for butterfli...
