NARRATOR Kim Betton: RESEARCHING THE LIFE CYCLES AND POPULATIONS OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY
ARE MAIN TOPICS OF STUDY FOR WILDLIFE BIOLOGY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN
ST.
PAUL.
THE BEAUTIFUL ORANGE AND BLACK BUTTERFLY HAS BEEN ON A STEADY DECLINE BY 90 PERCENT IN
RECENT YEARS.
IT’S THE RESULT OF A LOSS OF HABITAT OR MILKWEED DUE TO URBAN SPRAWL, AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES, DEVELOPMENT AND CROPLAND CONVERSION…
IN ADDITION TO THE LOSS OF WINTERING HABITAT IN MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA.
FROM THE RESEARCH LAB TO THE GREENHOUSE WITH MILKWEED AND THE CLASSROOM FOR PRACTICUM STUDIES…
THESE STUDENTS ARE HOPING THEIR EFFORTS COULD HELP BE…..
A SAVING GRACE.
Laura Lukens , Student, University of MN - “I was taking the monarch caterpillars out of
the incubator and feeding them this tropical milkweed.
First we empty out the old leaves from the container and empty them into the compost
and then we add fresh leaves to the container and then put them back into the incubator
to keep them growing and also record the how they are growing day by day.”
Carl Stenoien, PhD Candidate, University of MN - “Monarchs are particularly good model
organism for chemical ecology as well as migration of insects.
So I study mostly the chemical ecology portion of their biology and how much of a conservation
concern parasitoids or other invertebrate predators or other natural enemies might be
to monarchs.
“ Narrator: MANY OF THESE STUDENTS ARE MEMBERS
OF THE MONARCH JOINT VENTURE..
HEADQUARTERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.
THE ORGANIZATION IS A COLLABORATION OF STATE, FEDERAL, NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, AND ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS THAT ARE POOLING THEIR EFFORTS TO PROTECT MONARCH AND POLLINATOR HABITAT ACROSS
AMERICA.
DR.
KAREN OBERHAUSER, BIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MN IS CHAIR OF THE MONARCH JOINT
VENTURE.
- Dr. Oberhauser – “Monarchs need breeding
habitat during the spring and summer time and that breeding habitat occurs first in
the southern United States and then as it gets hot down there they move up into the
north eastern corridor of the United States it’s a huge area.
They move into that area, so they need milkweed plants for caterpillars to eat and they need
nectar plants for the adults.
So they go through two or three generations up here in the north - so they need habitat
then and then they migrate back to Mexico.
So we know that the numbers are declining.
And people notice this.
They’re not seeing as many butterflies in their gardens and they’re not seeing as
many butterflies during the migration in the fall and the spring.
So people are really concerned about this.”
Narrator: SUCH CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED IN STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS.
EVERY TEN YEARS U.S. CONGRESS REQUIRES EACH STATE TO DEVELOP A PROACTIVE PLAN FOR A VAST
ARRAY OF WILDLIFE INCLUDING AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS AND REPTILES BEFORE THEY BECOME RARE AND MORE
COSTLY TO PROTECT.
AND YET A FEDERAL STRATEGY IS NOW IN PLACE TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF HONEY BEES AND OTHER
POLLINATORS INCLUDING THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY.
IN FACT THE SPECIES IS LISTED IN THE MINNESOTA STATE PLAN.
Jane Norris, MN Dept. of Dept of Natural Resources: “So back in 2005 we really hadn’t heard
much about the decline in the monarch.
But over the past few years that’s been coming more and more to our attention.
So when our experts took a look at that list, particularly the butterflies and wasp sections,
the monarch did meet a number of criteria for species of greatest conservation need.
So while it was listed in our initial plan it is going in for our 2015 plan – and will
be considered for a species of greatest conservation need in Minnesota.”
Narrator: COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATES…
CAN ALSO MAKE A DIFFERENCE..
BY PLANTING MILKWEED IN THEIR YARDS.
MONARCH JOINT VENTURE MEMBERS SAY MORE SCHOOLS , BUSINESESES AND RESIDENTS ARE GETTING INVOLVED.
Sarah Weaver, MJV: “We support teachers with professional development funds to install
gardens on their school grounds and that gives a teacher another access point to teaching
science as well as providing extended habitat for all kinds of native pollinators including
the monarch butterfly.”
Wendy Caldwell, MJV: “ It’s important for the States to get involved.
One – because they own a lot of land and that’s potential habitat for monarch butterfly
and other pollinators and also other wildlife.
So just making sure that monarchs are apart of their plan enables them to really do good
conservation work which is also good for other pollinators.”
Narrator: MEANWHILE .. THERE’S OPTIMISM WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES
THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY WILL THRIVE…
Katie-Lyn Bunnney, MJV: “I think it’s great to see people getting involved.
I mean n the past year and a half I’ve seen so many people come up to us with so much
interests on monarchs wondering how they can help.
And having the monarch butterfly on the State level just kind of increases awareness and
increases that desire for other people to be involved as well.”
Wendy Caldwell, MJV: Monarch conservation is getting a lot of attention and all of the
great research that people are doing around monarchs – the research the education the
monitoring, the conservation- they’re just so many things going on that I am hopeful
for the rebound of the monarch population.
Narrator: IN WASHINGTON, KIM BETTON WILDLIFE AND SPORT FISH RESTORATION PROGRAM U.S. FISH
AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.