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Monarch butterfly lands on an aster. Photo credit: USFWS. |
We can save the monarch, but it will take a concerted national effort. Every backyard can become an oasis for monarchs (and other pollinators) — even in cities. Schools, youth and community groups, businesses, and state and local governments can engage in planting native milkweed and protecting monarch habitat along roadsides, rights of way, and other public and private lands. Rural landowners and members of the ranching and farming communities play an important role in this endeavor, and many are already engaged in land management practices compatible with pollinators and monarchs. By enlisting a broad group of partners, from school children to CEOs, we will build a connected conservation constituency.
Projects supported by the Southwest Region include the launching of the Texas and Oklahoma Pollinators and Monarch Partnership (TOPMOP) to promote outreach in both states; habitat improvement projects; Grassland Restoration & Enhancement Program (GRIP) collaborations; seed projects in Texas and Oklahoma; and projects that engage citizen science milkweed seed collecting; and monitoring, and research in the community. Engaging youth and communities is a top priority in the Region, and monarch conservation projects provide a unique and historical opportunity to engage communities, especially young people, in conservation.