A colorful orange and black insect commonly seen flying through gardens in the Keystone State is now closer to extinction. In recognition of Earth Day on Saturday, experts are calling attention to the dramatic decline of the migratory monarch butterfly population.

Chris Kubiak, director of education, Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, said depending on the weather patterns, monarch butterflies should be seen in Pennsylvania by early July, where they look for milkweed to lay their eggs so the monarch caterpillars can feed from it.

"They're important pollinators; they pollinate a lot of specific plants. They've got, I think you would say, a symbiotic relationship with milkweed, not just the fact that certainly they need their caterpillars. That's the only species that they can lay their eggs on, but they do a ton of the pollination," Kubiak said.

Kubiak added the decrease in monarch butterflies is due to the loss of habitat, and said milkweed that used to be so ubiquitous has nearly disappeared because of habitat loss from development. In Pennsylvania, changes in agriculture, herbicides, and climate change are definitely impacting the survival of the monarch butterfly in the state because those things are detrimental to milkweed, he said.

Monica Echeverria, deputy director for media and external affairs with the World Wildlife Fund, said the monarch butterfly makes the largest migration of any insect in the world - flying all the way from the northeastern U.S. to Mexico. She added measurements of the area of Mexican forest where the Eastern migratory monarchs hibernate indicate fewer and fewer monarchs each year.

"And we have noticed since the last 20 to 25 years that this area of forest that they cover is declining big time each year," she said. "But if you compare with the late '90s to today, the decline is almost 90%."

Echeverria emphasized their Monarch week-long campaign encourages millions of Americans to help stem the decline of the species by planting milkweed habitat along the butterfly's annual migration route.

Minnesota bird enthusiasts should keep their binoculars handy. April is a good month to spot various species migrating back to the region. Experts have tips on making it easier for them to settle in.

A good place to start for "birding" during spring migration is the Mississippi River corridor, a key flyway for birds traveling between their winter and summer homes. In the greater Duluth area, folks might also notice a lot of raptors, such as hawks and eagles, this time of year.

Monica Bryand, executive director of the Urban Bird Collective in the Twin Cities, considers this a worthwhile and fun activity.

"I've only been a birder for over 20 years, and I didn't realize what was out there until somebody took me birding," she said, "and, of course, now I'm just absolutely hooked."

As birds fan out across the state, Bryand says residents can do their part to keep obstacles and threats out of the way. That includes limiting backyard time for outdoor cats. And since birds tend to migrate at night, dimming or turning off outdoor lights is helpful, so long as personal safety isn't compromised. Applying window treatments such as films with UV patterns reduces bird strikes.

The latest State of the Birds report from national science and conservation groups is out, showing continued population declines, especially for grassland birds.

Bob Dunlap, a zoologist and data specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said that aligns with his research.

"We're down to 1% or less of the original prairie in Minnesota," he said, "and over time, that's definitely going to take a toll on these birds that do need grasslands to survive."

Researchers, along with the nonprofit Friends of the Mississippi River, have noted that habitat restoration has allowed species such as the Henslow's sparrow to see a turnaround. Meanwhile, Dunlap encouraged birders to use the "e-Bird" app when they're out. He called a reliable tool for citizen scientists to enter sightings.

"And so, the more data we have," he said, "the better to keep track of some of these trends."

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has introduced a bill to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The measure would also prohibit any challenges to the law in court.

Jewel Tomasula, national policy director for the Endangered Species Coalition, said H.R. 845 is essentially recycled legislation.

"The bill would reinstate a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting decision issued in November of 2020, the end of the first Trump administration," Tomasula explained. "This was overturned in court because the Fish and Wildlife Service did not use the best available science, among other serious errors."

The move comes as President Donald Trump and allies have accused federal courts of trying to overtake the executive branch's authority by blocking a number of executive orders.

After being hunted and poisoned to near extinction, the return of the gray wolf to the Lower 48 states is widely viewed as one of America's greatest conservation success stories. The livestock industry, which has overtaken large swaths of historic wolf habitat for grazing, has opposed protections citing concerns about predation.

A separate bill aims to put the brakes on getting species listed as endangered, speed up the delisting process and remove guardrails meant to prevent species from becoming extinct.

Kaitie Schneider, Colorado wolf representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said preventing the loss of keystone species like gray wolves is important for maintaining ecosystem viability and resilience in the face of a changing climate.

"We know that it's better not to lose that piece of the puzzle to begin with," Schneider stressed. "But it's critically important to put it back where we can. Keeping our ecosystems intact and restoring native species is not only important for us, but for our future generations too."

Nine in 10 Democrats and eight in 10 Republicans support the Endangered Species Act. And 84% of Americans support returning wolves to suitable landscapes in the Lower 48.

Schneider noted states like Colorado are showing wolves and people can coexist.

"If these bills and efforts to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act federally do go through, that's not going to stop the wolf reintroduction to Colorado," Schneider asserted. "Because the voters of Colorado decided that this is a priority for our state. That's going to continue."

A coalition of conservationists and tribal nations is pushing for support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative by state officials in Olympia.

The Initiative is a project to remove the lower Snake River dams while maintaining current irrigation, transportation, energy, and recreation services. It focuses on restoring salmon runs and supporting the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Gabriel Newton, a competitive kayaker, artist and conservationist, will draw attention to the plight of the Orcas next week. He said protecting them means protecting all living things.

"It's incredibly important," Newton stressed. "Every time a thread in the web of life is broken, our own capacity to thrive is diminished. Orcas and famine are very integral threads. Newton said the trip could be challenging."

Newton will paddle 65 miles from Seattle to Olympia. He plans to meet with Gov. Bob Ferguson and present 500 signed cards seeking his support. Former Gov. Jay Inslee endorsed the Initiative but Ferguson, who took office in January, has yet to take a position.

The initiative was initially proposed by a group called the "Six Sovereigns," including the tribes of the Yakama Nation, Umatilla Indian Reservation, Warm Springs Reservation, Nez Perce and the states of Oregon and Washington. Newton acknowledged the kayak trip could be challenging.

"It would be an easy run in the summer but March is one of the windiest months of the year on Puget Sound, and it tends to be wind from the south," Newton explained. "I can expect a headwind most of the way, and depending on the strength of the wind, it could be treacherous or mildly annoying."

Newton will also be one of the artists featured at "An Evening of Art and Poetry," on March 26 in Olympia. The event is sponsored by the Endangered Species Coalition, Save our Wild Salmon, Braided River, Washington Conservation Action, and the Sierra Club.


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