The monarch migration through Texas is something that we’re privileged to enjoy, as they make their way both north and south throughout the state, either on their way to Mexico for the winter or headed north to Canada for the summer. However, the species has been under tremendous strain as of late, owing to changes to their habitat and the environment. According to the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange, their populations have dissipated by 95 percent over the past three decades.
Recently, the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange has partnered with ranches, five of which can be found in Texas, to rehabilitate the milkweed – a plant these butterflies rely on for breeding. “It concerns me deeply that monarch butterflies as a species are declining at such an incredibly accelerated rate. When you started seeing massive declines in numbers of populations, it’s something we should all be paying attention to and something we should all worry about and be actively trying to solve those problems,” noted Amy Greer, a Texas rancher who is registered with the exchange. “One of the things that’s important to us is serving the land before we serve ourselves,” said George Greer. “That’s what this program is helping us do.”