In addition to the $20 million crowd funding, authorities will work to recreate the natural habitat of the Monarch Butterfly.
Wildlife organizations spoke with one voice on Thursday saying let’s bring the Monarch Butterfly population back from the brink. The species of butterfly represents an iconic symbol of the United States, which explains conservationists’ desire to contribute to the cause.
The Fish and Wildlife service from the United States were the first to make a step in this direction. They made an official announcement on Thursday inviting people to contribute to their crowd funding. The goal of the event is to raise $20 million which will be later on used for the conservation and the perpetuation of the monarch butterfly population.
According to senators Dan Ashe and Amy Klobuchar, the money will be distributed to cover preservation efforts that will be made in the following years. Thus, $4 million will be allotted each year for the following 5-year period to support scientists’ initiatives for the Monarch Butterfly population.
The announcement comes after White House officials have declared their support for the revival of this species. The official declaration wrote that these butterflies play a significant role in the pollination of the fauna; therefore, efforts must be made to prevent their extinction. Unfortunately, figures indicate that the population has decreased alarmingly in the past years.
There will be other projects developed, as well, in addition to the $20 million crowd funding, the two senators have stated. According to their declaration, scientists and conservationists will work to restore the natural habitat of the monarch butterfly species wherever this is possible.
Minnesota is the first region that will see the seeding of milkweed in an attempt to restore the natural habitat of these butterflies. The Interstate 35 area between Texas and Duluth will also be cultivated with plants that favor the reproduction of the Monarch Butterfly population.
Here is where citizens can step in and bring their own contribution to the cause by creating a small Monarch Butterfly habitat in their gardens, scientists have stated. All these people have to do is seed various species of milkweed, salvia and other nectar flowers in their gardens to allow Butterfly females to lay their eggs for the winter months. According to scientists, this small effort could have a huge impact for the North American population of the Monarch butterfly.
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