Known for their windowpane wing design and bright orange color, Western monarch butterflies add a dash of magic to the California coast, where they spend the winter.
Growing milkweed in California to help monarch butterflies
San Francisco (Associated Press)-A conservation organization is planting more than 30,000 milkweed plants in California, hoping to provide a new breeding ground for Western monarch butterflies.
San Francisco Chronicle Reported On Monday, the River Partners team worked with others and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to plant along the Sacramento, Feather and Kern Rivers.
These plants are considered vital because orange and black butterflies lay eggs on them. Their caterpillars also eat them.
Every winter, butterflies fly south from the Pacific Northwest to California. Earlier this year, researchers stated that there are fewer than 2,000 butterflies each winter a sharp drop.
Milkweed, a critical part of the butterfly life cycle, has been planted along the Sacramento, Feather and Kern rivers in an effort to help Western monarch.