Building Monarch Habitat Capacity

Monarchs get a lot of press these days. They are the poster child for the promotion of supporting pollinators by planting native host plants and nectar sources. There's a good reason. In the last few decades the number of Monarchs has decreased at an alarming rate. By some estimates there are fewer than 1% as many Monarchs as there were in 1980. As with many other species in decline it is believed that habitat loss is the primary driver of this decline. The sea of bermuda, fescue, and parking lots is simply not what Monarchs need. (And to be sure, pesticides haven't helped.) The good news is that the intentional planting of milkweeds (Asclepias species) seems to be having a positive impact.

Okies for Monarchs hosted a webinar with Jane Breckinridge to discuss the topic of "Building Monarch Habitat Capacity" last week. Jane has done some tremendous work throughout our state by working with American Indian tribes to set aside land for this purpose. The "Natives Raising Natives" program is funded by various grants that have allocated money for hoop houses, training, milkweed plugs, and other activities to enhance Monarch habitat. This partnership has brought together seven tribes that are dedicated to restoring land to benefit pollinators. Jane noted that when she talks to many people about helping Monarch butterflies their first question is "Why?" However, when she talks to the tribes about the same issue their first question is "How?" She said it is a completely different mindset and the tribal nations don't need to be convinced of the value of this work.

When Jane started working with the tribes she was told that she would encounter "capacity issues" - not enough seeds, not enough volunteers, not enough sources to buy plants, not enough land to restore. She tackled each of these issues and has built a great volunteer workforce with a focus on "train the trainer." Knowledge is passed on and more volunteers are joining the effort on a regular basis.

These volunteers started by planting plugs that were purchased from local growers. Now they are growing their own plugs each year in their hoop houses for planting the next season. The first plants went in the ground in 2016 and the following spring volunteers went out into the field to check on their milkweeds. They were astounded by the success. Every plant was covered in Monarch caterpillars. After that initial year they haven't bothered with the arduous task of counting caterpillars on each plant. They have invested their time and resources in growing and planting more milkweeds and native nectar plants to accompany them. The program has become the Tribal Alliance for Pollinators (www.tapconnection.org) and they are growing every year. They have now restored 350 acres of habitat.

Another greatest accomplishment is the establishment of a native plant seed bank. Volunteers collect and meticulously clean, sort, count, weigh, label, and store these seeds each year. The seeds are then shared with other tribes within the same ecoregion. There is a strong emphasis on sharing locally collected seeds and not purchasing from out of state companies, even if the seeds are species that are native to Oklahoma. This seed bank now includes 154 species of native plants.

Jane is a lover of many other butterfly and moth species and is quick to note that the Monarch is just one of our pollinators. She said that other species are also likely in decline like the Monarch and she is encouraged by knowing that anything can we do to help Monarchs is also helping other pollinators.

If you're interested in starting a butterfly garden in your own yard, Okies for Monarchs recommends planting at least 3 species of milkweed and at least 10 stems total. According to Jane, the most nutritious and most favored host plant for Monarchs in Oklahoma is the Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis). Some of the more showy species of milkweed are promoted for home gardens and they will be used by Monarchs, but are not as nutritious. You should also plant nectar plants nearby and aim to have something in flower throughout the growing season. Jane said that there is really not a minimum number of host plants you need in your yard to help Monarchs and other pollinators. She said if you can only plant one, then do it! Every bit helps. There is a lot of helpful information at okiesformonarchs.org.