John,

As the monarch’s annual spring migration north from Mexico begins, many of us are planting milkweed and native nectar plants in our gardens to help them survive.

But did you know the department of transportation in your state can also help? By managing roadsides to support habitat and food sources for monarch butterflies and other wildlife by planting native plants, reducing mowing, and limiting the spraying of herbicides, they can provide a habitat for monarchs to thrive. Please add your name in support of roadside habitat programs.

HELP CREATE MONARCH HABITAT

Monarch butterflies have suffered steep population declines across North America in the last few decades. Just days ago we learned that the eastern monarch butterfly population declined 53% from last year—but there are ways we can turn this around.

A primary cause of monarch decline is habitat loss. Monarchs need blooming native wildflowers, trees, and shrubs which provide nectar for the adult butterflies to feed upon, as well as native milkweed plants that are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. The conversion of natural habitat to make way for cropland and development—along with landscapes dominated by turfgrass, non-native plants and pesticides—is taking a steep toll.

Please lend your voice today to help monarch butterflies survive.

While the side of a busy road may not seem like an ideal place for wildlife habitat, roadsides filled with native flowers and grasses can surprisingly provide important respite for wildlife on the move—including butterflies, bees, and even migratory birds. With millions of acres of roadsides in the continental United States, some of which contain the only remnant prairie patches in an area, the habitat potential of roadsides to help save the monarch butterfly is truly significant.

Will you take action to help us take advantage of this important potential habitat?

Turfgrass or invasive weeds along roadsides provide little or no habitat for monarch butterflies and the pesticides used to maintain turfgrass can be deadly for monarchs and other species. But with your help, we can fill roadsides with beds of native blooming plants (including milkweed) to help boost monarch numbers.

Say YES to roadside habitat.

Thank you for taking action today for monarch butterflies.

Sincerely,