How to Create Your Own Monarch Butterfly Rest Stop | National Geographic

I was touched originally when I was just

I was touched originally when I was just a little kid I was seven and the

a little kid I was seven and the

a little kid I was seven and the National Geographic came in the mail and

National Geographic came in the mail and

National Geographic came in the mail and I remember my dad opening up those pages

I remember my dad opening up those pages

I remember my dad opening up those pages and I saw those monarch butterflies and

and I saw those monarch butterflies and

and I saw those monarch butterflies and I thought wow that’s a magic place that

I thought wow that’s a magic place that

I thought wow that’s a magic place that experience of going to the sanctuaries

experience of going to the sanctuaries

experience of going to the sanctuaries in Mexico was phenomenal you realize how

in Mexico was phenomenal you realize how

in Mexico was phenomenal you realize how small we are in this great migration

small we are in this great migration

small we are in this great migration it’s just an amazing connection when

it’s just an amazing connection when

it’s just an amazing connection when people realize that this is a species

people realize that this is a species

people realize that this is a species that is iconic for America and to have

that is iconic for America and to have

that is iconic for America and to have that slip away in our lifetimes

that slip away in our lifetimes

that slip away in our lifetimes just would be a severe tragedy and more

just would be a severe tragedy and more

just would be a severe tragedy and more and more people are starting to

and more people are starting to

and more people are starting to recognize you know that there’s an issue

the monarch to me is sort of like the

the monarch to me is sort of like the canary in the cornfield

canary in the cornfield

canary in the cornfield I think this monarch is kind of a

I think this monarch is kind of a

I think this monarch is kind of a warning signal

warning signal

warning signal the most common butterfly probably in

the most common butterfly probably in

the most common butterfly probably in the world over a period of twenty years

the world over a period of twenty years

the world over a period of twenty years it’s associated with this rapidly

it’s associated with this rapidly

it’s associated with this rapidly developing agriculture just dropping

developing agriculture just dropping

developing agriculture just dropping down to practically nothing over the

down to practically nothing over the

down to practically nothing over the past twenty one years for which we have

past twenty one years for which we have

past twenty one years for which we have really good data the numbers have now

really good data the numbers have now

really good data the numbers have now dropped down to less than 10% of what

dropped down to less than 10% of what

dropped down to less than 10% of what they were in the very fact that millions

they were in the very fact that millions

they were in the very fact that millions of them can aggregate in Mexico fact

of them can aggregate in Mexico fact

of them can aggregate in Mexico fact that they can cluster in such numbers is

that they can cluster in such numbers is

that they can cluster in such numbers is because they have chemical defense in

because they have chemical defense in

because they have chemical defense in their bodies which is derived from the

their bodies which is derived from the

their bodies which is derived from the milkweed plants what we do is we

milkweed plants what we do is we

milkweed plants what we do is we encourage people to plant the milkweed

encourage people to plant the milkweed

encourage people to plant the milkweed which will attract the adult butterflies

which will attract the adult butterflies

which will attract the adult butterflies and then they will lay the eggs then you

and then they will lay the eggs then you

and then they will lay the eggs then you can raise them and really just help them

can raise them and really just help them

can raise them and really just help them reach adulthood the monarch caterpillars

reach adulthood the monarch caterpillars

reach adulthood the monarch caterpillars that I raised and that we encourage

that I raised and that we encourage

that I raised and that we encourage people to raise are those that are wild

people to raise are those that are wild

people to raise are those that are wild found and the reason for that is with

found and the reason for that is with

found and the reason for that is with the population being so low and

the population being so low and

the population being so low and essentially so fragile we don’t want to

essentially so fragile we don’t want to

essentially so fragile we don’t want to be buying caterpillars or buying larvae

be buying caterpillars or buying larvae

be buying caterpillars or buying larvae that might have disease and the more

that might have disease and the more

that might have disease and the more milkweed and the more nectar plants the

milkweed and the more nectar plants the

milkweed and the more nectar plants the we have available the more the monarch

we have available the more the monarch

we have available the more the monarch butterflies themselves can do what they

butterflies themselves can do what they

butterflies themselves can do what they do naturally and bring back the

do naturally and bring back the

do naturally and bring back the population thank you all for coming

population thank you all for coming

population thank you all for coming today all of you coming together today

today all of you coming together today

today all of you coming together today all of the things that you’re doing

all of the things that you’re doing

all of the things that you’re doing every milkweed plant that you plant and

every milkweed plant that you plant and

every milkweed plant that you plant and every nectar plant that you plant really

every nectar plant that you plant really

every nectar plant that you plant really makes a difference what we’re trying to

makes a difference what we’re trying to

makes a difference what we’re trying to do is educate the people throughout the

do is educate the people throughout the

do is educate the people throughout the country that we’ve lost a lot of habitat

country that we’ve lost a lot of habitat

country that we’ve lost a lot of habitat and this is the main reason that the

and this is the main reason that the

and this is the main reason that the monarch butterflies are down losing

monarch butterflies are down losing

monarch butterflies are down losing something like a million to two million

something like a million to two million

something like a million to two million acres a year throughout the country just

acres a year throughout the country just

acres a year throughout the country just due to development and agriculture and a

due to development and agriculture and a

due to development and agriculture and a number of other things that destroy

number of other things that destroy

number of other things that destroy natural habitats and so what that means

natural habitats and so what that means

natural habitats and so what that means is that if we don’t compensate for that

is that if we don’t compensate for that

is that if we don’t compensate for that much loss every year we’re going to

much loss every year we’re going to

much loss every year we’re going to continue to lose ground with pollinators

continue to lose ground with pollinators

continue to lose ground with pollinators with ground nesting birds with monarch

with ground nesting birds with monarch

with ground nesting birds with monarch butterflies and everything else that

butterflies and everything else that

butterflies and everything else that shares those habitats a lot of times

shares those habitats a lot of times

shares those habitats a lot of times people aren’t even comfortable with

people aren’t even comfortable with

people aren’t even comfortable with planting gardens so we wanted to show

planting gardens so we wanted to show

planting gardens so we wanted to show people how to do a planting how to

people how to do a planting how to

people how to do a planting how to properly secure the roots so that it’s

properly secure the roots so that it’s

properly secure the roots so that it’s touching soil we can’t mow everything

touching soil we can’t mow everything

touching soil we can’t mow everything into oblivion

into oblivion

into oblivion we can’t herbicide everything into a

we can’t herbicide everything into a

we can’t herbicide everything into a monoculture we really have to maintain

monoculture we really have to maintain

monoculture we really have to maintain the diversity out there because that

the diversity out there because that

the diversity out there because that diversity is the crux the basis for all

diversity is the crux the basis for all

diversity is the crux the basis for all of these ecosystems out there I am

of these ecosystems out there I am

of these ecosystems out there I am optimistic I think they can be saved and

optimistic I think they can be saved and

optimistic I think they can be saved and I think the reason they can be saved is

I think the reason they can be saved is

I think the reason they can be saved is because enough people care about them

because enough people care about them

because enough people care about them monarchs are very prolific insects each

monarchs are very prolific insects each

monarchs are very prolific insects each female is able to lay up to 300 eggs and

female is able to lay up to 300 eggs and

female is able to lay up to 300 eggs and if the monarchs could get in three or

if the monarchs could get in three or

if the monarchs could get in three or four generations in a row and have a

four generations in a row and have a

four generations in a row and have a good summer up here in the breeding

good summer up here in the breeding

good summer up here in the breeding range then they’ll come back I might

range then they’ll come back I might

range then they’ll come back I might just plant my one monarch Waystation

just plant my one monarch Waystation

just plant my one monarch Waystation which is just a raindrop

which is just a raindrop

which is just a raindrop but then if my neighbor sees it and

but then if my neighbor sees it and

but then if my neighbor sees it and plants one two and then another neighbor

plants one two and then another neighbor

plants one two and then another neighbor sees it and then we start to grow them

sees it and then we start to grow them

sees it and then we start to grow them then it becomes something significant I

then it becomes something significant I

then it becomes something significant I feel like the people of my generation

feel like the people of my generation

feel like the people of my generation are responsible for making sure that

are responsible for making sure that

are responsible for making sure that everybody looking forward still has that

everybody looking forward still has that

everybody looking forward still has that experience and that those monarchs that

experience and that those monarchs that

experience and that those monarchs that great migration is still happening