The 2013 monarch butterfly migration recorded an all-time low in Mexico, where the butterflies come from Canada and the United States every year to hibernate for the winter. There are driving factors in all three countries. First, the primary food source for monarch butterflies is the milkweed plant and its being wiped out by herbicides used on genetically modified crops in North America. Next, the monarch habitat has shrunk due to deforestation and forest degradation in sanctuaries along the border between the states of Michoacan and the State of Mexico. Last, extreme climate conditions in Canada, the United States and Mexico are making the entire life cycle more difficult for these butterflies.
We've all heard this story before unfortunately: Human behavior is inducing climate change, which is damaging the natural habitat of a species, who are now on the brink of extinction. From the bees to the polar bears, humankind's current lifestyle is detrimental to other species on the planet. But are we doing enough to prevent this from happening?
A little sidenote, my friend works at the Pacific Science Center's Tropical Butterfly House and while he loves his job, he says that sometimes it can be a little depressing to sweep dead butterflies off the floor. Especially if he gets caught by innocent children who don't understand what he's hiding behind his back.
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