Ridge Runner Chronicles – October 5, 2022
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Something Is Missing this Fall
By Bill Hoagland
I love this time of year—clear blue skies, a slight nip in the air and a hint of the leaves just starting to turn color. But for me, there is something missing this year. Normally, in September, on these clear blue days, we see the sky filled with those beautiful Monarch butterflies making their solitary, seemingly haphazard flights toward Mexico to spend the winter with millions of other Monarch butterflies on a mountain top sanctuary known as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
The problem is that I have yet to see a Monarch butterfly this fall.
So what exactly is going on? In early 2019, I wrote a column about the Monarch butterfly and the fact that according to the World Wildlife Federation, there had been a 144% increase in the population of the Monarch butterfly in 2018 over the prior ten years, in which there had been a 70% decline in the population numbers. Fans of the Monarch butterfly were thrilled by this news and much credit was given to a national effort here in the US to encourage people to plant and cultivate the milkweed plant that is so essential to the survival of the Monarch as generations of Monarchs make that annual 2,500 mile trip. But now we appear to be headed in the wrong direction again, with at least one international organization declaring that the Monarch butterfly is now an endangered species.
There are lots of reasons for the recent decline in the Monarch butterfly population, including climate change, the increased use of genetically modified crops, intensified farming practices (leading to the widespread destruction of the milkweed plant), and specifically with regard to Mexico, where the eastern Monarch butterfly hibernates over the winter, we have three factors: air pollution from Mexico City, illegal timber operations near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and some alleged attempts by drug cartels to take over control of the area. But in looking into the matter further, I was pleased to find out that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve does still exist and that tours of the sanctuary are still being conducted during the winter of 2022-2023. See “www.mexecotours.com” for information about those tours, which regrettably may not be long for this world.)
The Monarch butterfly is a fascinating animal. Just the fact that millions of butterflies make that 2,500 mile trip each fall to the Mexican sanctuary without ever having been there before, in itself, is absolutely remarkable. It would be a tragedy to permanently lose this beautiful species.
Note: At the very least, if you can’t see the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in person, check it out on YouTube. And for information about planting milkweed, go to “www.monarchbutterflyusa.com”
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at billhoagland70@gmail.com.