Nature Flash #1 - Monarchs Need Milkweed

Seeing a monarch butterfly in Central New Jersey has become a somewhat rare treat. And it appears that a dearth of milkweed is one of the main reasons.

Just several decades ago they were a much more common sight.

Excerpt from Milkweed in suburbs and cities could restore monarchs: Posted by U. Arizona July 10th, 2017:
_{North American migratory monarch populations east of the Rocky Mountains declined by more than 80 percent over the last two decades due, in part, to the loss of millions of milkweed stems in the northern United States.}

_{Milkweed is the only plant that provides breeding habitat and food for monarch young, but because adult monarchs feed on the nectar from a range of flowering plants, the US Fish and Wildlife Service recommends planting both milkweeds and nectar plants that are native to specific areas. Adverse weather conditions in recent years, loss of overwintering habitat, disease, and exposure to contaminants have also contributed to the monarchs’ decline.}

• Monarch Butterflies Need Help From Plant Population: USGS/University Communications
  July 5, 2017

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Milkweed image @cognoscere and taken on Saturday 07/08/2017 at the North Fork Timber Swamp Brook in Howell, New Jersey (Sony RX100 V)

• First Image Source