February EcoQuest: Monarchs, Milkweeds and Mystery

Event Description

For this month’s EcoQuest help find and map as many monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) as possible.

Monarch butterflies are in severe decline, with numbers from 2020 showing the lowest ever recorded in the West. Much of this decline can be tied to loss of milkweeds, the plant genus that monarchs depend on for reproduction. Other factors likely include loss of nectar plants, destruction of overwintering habitat and climate change.