It wasn’t only last-minute Christmas shoppers who decided to take advantage of the sunny spell on Wednesday. In Lighthouse Field, the monarch butterflies were out in full force, taking advantage of the relatively warm air to flutter across the grass in their persistent search for nectar.
The monarch butterfly is a “species of concern” in California, and every effort is being made to rescue it. Their numbers have declined sharply due to human intrusions into their habitats, pesticides, diminishing forests and the effects of global warming. Last year, SantaCruz.com.html reported how the butterfly population of Natural Bridges had declined from a peak of 40,000-150,000 in the 1970s and 1980s to just 1,000 in 2009.
There is one thing you can do this Christmas to help restore the butterfly population. Monarch butterflies love milkweed—it is the only plant that their larvae eat. There are 12 native milkweed species, and some of them flower. That means you can give a gift of milkweed this year to your family and friends that love gardening. It is a nice break from the poinsettia that traditionally marks the season. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
