OGDEN, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The monarch butterfly is a symbol of summer. However, it may be more elusive this summer than it has been in recent history.
There are two major populations: the western monarch and the eastern monarch. Both populations are currently experiencing unprecedented declines. In Utah, people are working to create safe havens across the state for the butterfly as it makes its annual migration.
Chances are you don’t associate winter with butterflies, but Friends of Monarchs says now is the perfect time to start planting milkweed, which is the plant crucial for the survival of the monarch butterfly. In fact, the organization is working with Future Farmers of America programs at high schools across Utah to get seeds in the ground before the monarch butterflies start migrating to the Beehive State.
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“I was out in the yard one day and wondered why I never see them anymore,” Rachel Taylor told ABC4 News. The Utah native and Friends of Monarchs founder has a deep love for one of the most iconic insects on the planet and has for decades. “So, I started growing some milkweed to see if I could attract them and low and behold I could.”