Local effort underway to help save monarch butterflies
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The spring weather is here, but year after year, we see fewer of the monarch butterflies which have always arrived with the warm weather.
From college students to conservationists, we talked to those who've joined to plant more of the flowers that attract the monarch butterflies, creating gardens in the middle of the city.
One of those people is UH student Jose Alducin.
"We started planting this in November and December, so it can be ready for spring," said Alducin.
Research shows a steep drop over time in the number of monarchs migrating between Mexico and North America. Alducin and other UH students have joined conservation group, Houston Wilderness, to create more butterfly-friendly habitats across our region.
"If you want to make a difference, you can do it, even in a small plot," said Houston Wilderness CEO, Deborah January-Bevers.
The UH students are planting a garden, of all places, at the Houston Health Department. It's a venture the city really wanted to be a part of, and January-Bevers was happy to accommodate the request.
"They got so excited, they decided we don't want one, we want two. So it's a lot of fun and wonderful for the monarch butterfly."
It's not simply large gardens, but smaller, backyard havens which can help.
"If you're doing gardening, go ahead and plant milkweed. It'll attract monarch butterflies, and your garden is going to look beautiful with the butterflies," said Alducin.
If you're thinking about a garden of your own to attract the monarchs, you'll want to plant on level ground with full sunlight. You can plant grown milkweed and nectar plants or plant seeds right now to bloom and attract butterflies this fall.
