Did you ever watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly? I think it is amazing how they metamorphose from having no wings to having brightly colored ones. One of the most beautiful butterflies is the monarch butterfly, pictured above with its orange and black wings. They are famous for making a very long annual journey, about 3,000 miles, from Canada to central Mexico each winter. Each delicate butterfly travels 50-100 miles per day, despite weighing much less than half an ounce or one gram. Their wingspan is about 3-4 inches long or 9-11 centimeters. Can you imagine being that small and traveling so far? In comparison, the average human weighs over 100 pounds and stands more than 5 feet tall. And we do not have to use our arms to fly; instead, we jump on planes and make long journeys.

Many people delight in the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. They say it is amazing to see the blanket of orange and black when they arrive in Mexico. Millions of monarchs used to make the long trip between countries. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled dramatically due to climate change, herbicides such as Roundup, forest logging, and the lack of food. Monarch butterflies rely on a plant named milkweed. I know, the name “milkweed” does not sound nice to some of you. However, it is actually very pretty with small pink-purple flowers. Milkweed used to be abundant in the United States, however, has become scarce because of a government mandate for biofuel. That mandate pushed farmers to set aside less land for wildlife.

You can help monarch butterflies by planting milkweed, butterfly bushes, zinnias, cosmos, and making sure your garden is butterfly friendly. Or you can encourage your state and local governments, and the Federal Highway Administration to plant milkweed and flowering plants, instead of grass, along the roadside.