In many conservation efforts there is a poster child species that is photogenic and beloved that is chosen to represent the campane in the public eye. One of those species that has been doing a lot of work recently is the monarch butterfly. The monarch is an amazing species with an international footprint but here at home it represents natural prairies and meadows across the midwest. A world saved for the monarch is a world with road edges covered in native wildflowers that are never sprayed with insecticides or mowed during the summer. This world would also have backyard gardens shared throughout neighborhoods with continuous blooms for nectar and lots of milkweed plants. When we make an effort to save the monarch we are saving an entire ecosystem of plants, insects, and birds that need these continuous tracks of native flowers and grasses. We are making safe spaces for plants that are declining from loss of habitat in the wild by bringing them into urban spaces and giving them value and a place in our lives. Insects and birds will find our native gardens to be a wonderful oasis to thrive. Life causes more life and the monarchs are just one little piece. When we make a place in our heart for an orange and black butterfly there will soon also be a space for the milkweed flower, the crab spider hiding in the petals, the tussock moth with the crazy hair, and even the orderly row of tiny aphids along the plant stems. Remember the big picture when talking about monarch butterflies and all the species represented when we say "Save the Monarchs!"
Here is another blog post I recommend about insects on milkweeds http://driftlessprairies.org/insects-and-milkweed/
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