25
Spring 2014
Escarpment Magazine
Numerousanimal species
are suffering theeffectsofman-madeeventsaswell
as theconsequencesof the“globalwarming”phenomenon.According toa reportbasedon
asurveyofMexico'sMonarchButterflyBiosphereReservedone inDecember2013,migrating
monarchbutterfliesare in "gravedanger."The report shows theircolonies inMexiconowoc-
cupy thesmallestareasincerecordsbegan in1993.Thesurveywasconductedby theWWF-
TelcelAllianceandMexico'sNationalCommission forProtectedAreas.OmarVidal,director
general ofWWF-Mexico, notedbyemail: "Themonarchbutterflyasa species is not endan-
gered.What isendangered is itsmigratoryphenomenon fromCanada toMexicoandback."
“Whileexpertsandgovernmentofficialsof the threecountries involvedmayargueaboutwho
isdoingwhat,habitat lossanduseofpesticidesare theclearculprits.Fir treeswhere the insects
overwinterarebeing logged illegally inMexico,andmilkweed isbeingwipedoutacross the
USandCanada.” reportedCatherineBacque inherwell researchedarticleon thewebsite:
wildbluffs.com.
Inanother insightfulNationalGeographic featurearticle,ChristineDell’Amoreoutlined. “The
number ofmigratingmonarchs is plummeting for a few reasons:widespread loss of aplant
calledmilkweed,which theiryoungrelyon for food;extremeclimate fluctuations inNorthAmer-
ica, including freezing temperaturesandheavy rain;anddeforestation.“
Arguably the leadingexperton themonarchbutterfly,LincolnBrowersays thewidespreaduse
of theherbicideglyphosate,soldasRoundup,developedby theU.S.agriculturalbiotechcom-
panyMonsanto, isnow thecritical threat to themonarchs’ foodsupply.Brower,who teaches
biologyatSweetBriarCollege inVirginiastates the insect'splight "issymbolicofwhat'sgoing
on in termsofenvironmentaldegradationeverywhere."
*
we’re in
big trouble...
PLEASE
HELPUS
STORY | DEENA DOLAN FINDLAY
MONARCHS FACE A HUGE CHALLENGE
FINDING MILKWEED (SHOWN HERE),
WHICH IS THE SOLE HOST PLANT FOR
THEIR EGGS AND CATERPILLARS.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
TO THEIR SURVIVAL.
{
Wherehave those flowers
andbutterfliesall gone
that sciencemayhave
staked the futureon?
~Robert Frost, ‘Pod of theMilkweed’, 1962
