ST. PAUL, Minn. – New numbers show the monarch butterfly population is making a comeback.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are currently four hectares of monarchs recorded in central Mexico where they spend the winter. That’s around nine acres of butterflies, and up from the one hectare recorded last winter.
“Complete joy. It was really great to see the number up so high,” says Dr. Karen Oberhauser at the University of Minnesota. Oberhauser has spent her entire professional career studying monarch butterflies. She says weather is one of the main reasons for the boost.
“We had a perfect summer here last year. It wasn't too hot, we had enough rain, so the milkweed was in good condition. A lot of factors conspired to make last year a good year,” Oberhauser says.
While the numbers are promising, Oberhauser says the goal now is to hit the six-hectare mark, which would make monarchs more resilient to conditions during an off year.
“We still haven't reached the point where most scientists agree the population has long-term viability,” she says.
Oberhauser says monarchs still need more land with milkweed and nectar plants to thrive.
Click here for more ways you can help the monarch butterfly population.