Surveyors at Journey North have calculated a 26% decline in the monarch butterfly winter population.
These winged creatures migrate from the north, in areas like Michigan, down to the south in Mexico and other parts of Central America. Although this decline has been concerning, Missaukee Conservation District Education Coordinator Andrea Mayer said population numbers are known to fluctuate.
“In 2019, there was a slight rebound. Numbers were recovering. This year, I'm not sure, but what happens is it waxes and wanes from time to time, depending upon the weather or environmental disturbances that the butterflies may come into contact with," she said. "Some years, it's better, some years, it's not.”
Environmental changes have been cited by Michigan State University Extension researchers as a cause for decline. Retired extension butterfly expert Duke Elsner said the increase in dry, hot weather can make it difficult for monarchs to find nectar in the fall.
Overall, Elsner doesn't see the decline as a sign of imminent extinction of the species. If there were to be an extinction, he believes it would be only of the migratory monarchs.
"There are some populations of the monarch that do not migrate, so they don't face the issue of migration, they don't have challenges," he said.
If there were to be an extinction of the species as a whole, Elsner would blame humans.
“If we can't keep something as common, as simple, as a monarch going, you have to wonder how other insects and other animals are going to do,” he said.
Both Elsner and Mayer cite planting milkweed as a way to maintain the population of monarchs. People often remove them with other weeds, but if there isn't enough for caterpillars and full-grown monarchs to consume, it will contribute to further decline.
This story was completed as part of the Michigan News Group Internship. Riley is based at the Cadillac News.