Every year, monarch butterflies – delicate insects no heavier than a paperclip – undergo a magnificent migratory journey across North America.
The monarch migration is one of the Earth’s most amazing natural wonders. In the past, clouds of migrating butterflies filled the skies with the color and beauty of their bright orange wings. But today, threats like pesticides and habitat loss are making it harder and harder for the monarch butterfly to survive its migratory journey each year.
Is it possible for the monarch butterfly to recover and thrive? We have some good news to share.
The Eastern monarch butterfly population is double what it was last year.
The Eastern monarch population lives across the Eastern U.S. and Canada during the summer, but spends its winters keeping warm in Mexico. That’s where scientists gather to count them and get a sense of how big the population is each year.
This year’s count brought some great news for the Eastern monarch. There were nearly twice as many monarchs overwintering this year as there were last year.
This year’s population increase is a glimmer of hope for a butterfly population that has otherwise been dwindling.
Are monarch populations declining or improving?
It’s tough out there for butterflies of all kinds right now. As toxic pesticides poison the plants they need to survive, and development fragments the habitat they depend on, the overall butterfly population of the U.S. has shrunk more than 20% in the last 20 years.
For monarch butterflies specifically, the distinct Eastern and Western populations experience different fluctuations in population size.
The Eastern monarch population in Mexico was counted by estimating the amount of forest occupied by the roosting butterflies. This year, 4.42 acres of trees were covered by monarchs, up from just 2.2 acres last year. However, even 4 acres is still a relatively small amount compared to historical totals. The population has historically been on the decline — with this year’s count as a promising glimmer of hope.
The Western monarch population, which overwinters in the western U.S., is in dire straits. In 2024’s official count, only 9,119 were counted. That’s not a reflection of the total number of Western monarchs that exist, but it does point to a historic low point in butterfly population.
Overall, it’s clear that monarchs need conservation and support across the country if they are going to continue to survive. Luckily, the Fish and Wildlife Service is considering extending Endangered Species Act protection to these special insects.
And there’s a lot we can do as individuals to help the monarchs thrive, too.
You can help protect monarch butterflies at home.
In the eastern and southern U.S., monarch butterflies breed in the spring, placing their eggs on the milkweed plants their caterpillars eat. In the western U.S., butterflies on their spring migration toward their summer breeding grounds will need plenty of nectar-rich flowers to fuel their journey.
No matter where you are in the continental U.S., planting more milkweed and other pollinator-friendly flowering plants is a great thing to do to support monarch butterflies and biodiversity in your own backyard.
When, where and how to plant milkweed to save the monarch butterfly
Making your garden a welcoming place for butterflies is easy with this butterfly garden starter kit. The kit includes a wide selection of species in the seed mix to insure adaptability to many regions.
Get started today!
