<
https://theconversation.com/the-survival-of-the-endangered-monarch-butterfly-depends-on-conservation-beyond-borders-188289>
"The iconic North American monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus plexippus was
recently listed in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, signalling that
its ongoing decline could lead to extinction. The compounding effects of
habitat degradation, insufficient food and water and climate change have led to
these dwindling numbers.
This tiny, almost weightless, butterfly can travel thousands of kilometres
across natural and human-made borders with ease. It can survive harsh weather
during its long-distance flights across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. And it has
developed, over millennia, these movements in a delicate relationship with its
milkweed host plant.
Despite their remarkable adaptations and ongoing conservation efforts, things
have gone downhill for these monarchs. Why? Part of the answer lies in our
misguided approach to protecting them.
As a social anthropologist, I have followed this butterfly across North America
over the past decade. I document how monarchs are natural crossers, uniting
people, fields of expertise and countries. What is at risk of disappearing with
them, I argue, is the wonder of a natural connector. And we need to unite to
truly protect them."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
