youngs and eggs hatch into caterpillars. they feed exclusively on the milk weed which has been eliminated. and now these animals lost a breeding site. with the increase of traffic, climate change and other issues is why they are disappearing. why has it been getting pulled? well because it s kind of looked as a pest milk swede very large weed. it s a very common it really can overtake a garden if you don t manage it. but in the natural world it really is instrumental to the survival of these incredibly beautiful and he could logically important butterflies. these butterflies are like amazing. they go how many miles they go, right? well what s really amazing to me is their lifecycle. it s not one butterfly that makes the migration.
now to an update to a story we first told you about this past fall. the monarch butterfly was once a common sight throughout this country, but over the last few decades their numbers have dropped off dramatically. now a major effort is underway to save them before it s too late. here s our chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson. reporter: they are ready-made for close-ups. monarch butterflies whose circle of life is taught to school
common sense especially with handcuff keys and suggest making a second set. did you ever think your career would come down to giving advice like this at the end of a news cast? people need to know. we ll be back at 6:00. terror attack. a manhunt underway after a deadly ambush during a free speech event in europe. tonight, chilling echoes of the charlie hebdo attack. piling on, yet another big storm bearing down on new england packing near hurricane force winds and record cold. why some are saying it could be the most dangerous blizzard of the season. weighing in. the controversial plan that could become law. should parents pay a fine if their children are obese? and flying high, the race to save a colorful and gentle creature that s disappearing before our very eyes. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this
children everywhere. in this first grade science class at brooklyn s kensington school, the lessons go beyond learning. what happens to monarchs if they don t get the proper food? they ll die. reporter: that s pretty bad, huh? so the students are growing the monarch s food, milkweed, in dixie cups to transplant outside in the spring. what does the milkweed do for the monarch butterfly? to be strong and be healthy. reporter: using a grant from the national wildlife federation for supplies, efforts like this are now getting a big boost. working with the nwf, the u.s. fish and wildlife service will spend $2 million to restore and improve 200,000 acres of habitat for the butterflies and support 750 school projects. at a time when i think folks are not convinced that, you know, big problems can be solved, this is something we can actually fix. reporter: since 1995, monarchs lost an area the size
of texas in critical habitat. along their annual trek from mexico to canadian border. numbering plummeting from 1 billion in 1996 to 30 million years ago. last fall conservation biologist karen overhouser showed us the launching pads for these important pollinators threatened by development and agricultural practice. the answer is to use any kind of pesticide, insecticides or herbicides judiciously. reporter: now by planting milkweed, everyone can help. what do you see in their eyes if you teach them about the monarchs? wonder and they re inquisitive. reporter: it s evident in the faces of diane s students. anxious to help save the creatures that light up their imagination. anne thompson, nbc news, brooklyn. up next here tonight on this valentine s day, a weighty debate in the city of love.