The Western Monarch Butterfly
Often, when we think of monarch butterflies, the eastern monarch butterfly comes to the mind with its spring arrival in the United States and its iconic fall migration to the mountains of Mexico to overwinter. In California, we are fortunate to host the western monarch butterfly.
2016 Bolinas, CA Overwintering cluster of Western Monarch Butterflies. Photograph by Stephan Meyer
The western monarch (Danaus plexippus) spends its spring and summer west of the Rocky Mountain ranges. In the fall it migrates to the California coastline (from Mendocino to Baja), where it seeks moderate temperatures and protection from storms by clustering in tree groves. The arrival of the mariposa (monarch butterfly) along the coast signals a cultural beginning to autumn. The butterflies also symbolize change, transformation, rebirth, hope, and abundance.
Following the 2021 Xerces Foundation Thanksgiving and New Year Counts, the butterfly population continues to decline in Marin County. In 1997 there were more than 32,000 butterflies counted. In contrast, in 2021, only 180 butterflies were counted despite adding additional survey sites. Download Xerces Data
How You Can Act Locally to Help the Monarch
“Today’s remaining monarchs are calling us to get real. To not merely know things and feel things about them but to do things for them. To become attuned to what they need where and when, to think about the plants in our gardens and parks, about how we manage weeds, about where we place development. They are asking us to do for their lives as we do for our own.“ - Mary Ellen Hannibal (quoted from Marin Monarch Movement report introduction)
DRAMATIC POPULATION DECLINE
Photograph by Sarah Killingsworth
Pressure from humans that includes habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change are contributing to the decline of the butterfly. The population of western monarch butterflies is sharply declining. The Xerces Society Western Monarch Thanksgiving and New Year’s community science count data highlights concerning declines in recent years.
Last year, the data had recorded a near disappearance of the butterfly with less than 2,000 individuals counted in California, and less than 200 in coastal Marin County
TAKE ACTION: YOU CAN HELP
Photograph by Sarah Killingsworth
Fortunately, we can take actions to help the western monarch today by applying the right actions, in the right place, right now!
We created a report that applied the best available science to support the butterfly and reviewed against the work of organizations and individuals in Marin County. The result is a comprehensive guide to learn about the butterfly and what we can collectively do in Marin County to help the population rebound.
FIVE ACTIONS TO HELP MONARCHS
Marin’s Monarch Movement is designed to provide the general public with information about the western monarch butterfly and identify gaps (needs) in our regional response efforts.
The report analyzes community actions against the Xerces Society’s Call To Action that outlines Five Actions to Support Monarchs that includes protecting and enhancing overwintering and breeding habitats, stopping pesticide use, protecting habitats outside of California, and answering key research questions.
RIGHT ACTIONS IN THE RIGHT PLACE
In Marin County, this means we need to develop a coordinated response, enlisting residents, nonprofits, commercial businesses, agriculture, schools, golf courses, local governments, and others in a variety of actions to prevent a total population collapse of this iconic species.
Specifically, we need to plan our actions based on habitat needs in the coastal and inland areas if we want to support the population effectively.
• Inland areas should provide breeding and migratory habitat
support with lots of native milkweed, nectar plants, and fresh
water.
• Coastal areas should provide and protect rich and dynamic
overwintering tree covers, fresh water, and native nectar plants.
• Coastal areas must be free of milkweed.
Thank you to the individuals and organizations who contributed information, content, designs, and photographs to bring this vision to life
Organizations:
Xerces Society, Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN), Marin Audubon Society, Home Ground Habitats, and the California Native Plant Society Marin Chapter.
Individuals:
Mia Monroe, Mairi Pileggi, Mary Ellen Hannibal, Jessica Taylor, Karen Campbell, Audrey Barth, Grace Milstein, Carolina Auerbach, Audrey Fusco, Ed Nute, Max Sarosi, Alice Cason, Marcia Basalla, Sarah Killingsworth, and Carlos Porrata.
Financial Supporters:
Thank you to the individuals who financially supported this project. Your contributions made this work possible.
Cynthia Lloyd, Mia Monroe and Stephan Meyer, Karen Culler and Thomas Weidinger, Claire John Eschelbach, Gail Grasso The Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation, and David and Patty Wimpfheimer.
Recommended Retail Nurseries
Marin County Nurseries
CNL Nursery:
254 Shoreline Hwy Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 888-8471 | cnlnatives.com
Green Jeans:
690 Redwood Hwy Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 389-8333 | greenjeansgardensupply.com
Mostly Natives:
54 B St., Unit D Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 (415) 663-8835 | mostlynatives.com
O'Donnells Fairfax Nursery: 1700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax, CA 94930 (415) 453-0372 | odonnellsnursery.com
Nurseries Outside of Marin County
Annie's Annuals:
740 Market Avenue Richmond, CA 94801
(510) 215-3301 | anniesannuals.com
Cal Flora Nursery:
2990 Somers Street Fulton, CA 95439
(707) 528-8813 | calfloranursery.com
The Watershed Nursery:
601 Canal Blvd Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 234-2222 | watershednursery.com
Emerisa Gardens:
555 Irwin Avenue Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 525-9644 | emerisa.com
Oaktown Native Plant Nursery:
702 Channing Way Berkeley, CA
510-387-9744 | oaktownnursery.com
Recommended Wholesale Nurseries
Hedgerow Farms:
21905 County Road 88 Winters, CA 95694 (530)-662-6847 | hedgerowfarms.com
Home Ground Habitats:
PO Box 592, Novato, CA 94948
(415)-299-9244 | homegroundhabitats.org
Larner Seeds:
235 Grove Road Bolinas, CA 94924
(415)-868-9407 | larnerseeds.com
SPAWN Nursery:
9255 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Olema, CA 94950
(415) 663-8590 | audrey@seaturtles.org seaturtles.org/campaigns/native-plant-nursery
Is your favorite California native plant nursery missing?
We may not know about them yet. Email us to add them to our online listings.
If they are carrying non-native milkweed (like tropical milkweed) or other harmful non-native plants, they were not included on this list. Kindly ask them to remove harmful species from their inventories to protect western monarch butterflies.
Then we can update our list to include them.
learn more about marin’s western monarch populations
Xerces Society Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Data 1997-2018
Monarchs in Deep Decline on Coast, Point Reyes Light, December 2018
California Monarch Butterfly Population Down 86 Percent in One Year, KQED, December 2018
California’s Most Famous Butterfly Nearing Death Spiral, SF Chronicle, January 2019
Marin’s Bayside Communities Called to Save Monarch Butterflies, Marin IJ, April 2019
Novato Girl Scout Troop Plants Seed of Recovery for Monarch Butterflies, Marin IJ, May 2019
Turtle Island/SPAWN Joins Statewide Effort to Restore Habitat for Western Monarchs, July 2019
