PORTLAND, Ore. October 22, 2021 – Migratory western monarchs are being reported at their overwintering sites in coastal California in greater numbers than last year, with hundreds at some sites and thousands at others, giving hope for the struggling population. These reports are particularly welcome after the population reached an all-time low of 1,914 butterflies […]
Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Posted inCalifornia
Residents and Communities Step Up to Protect California’s Monarch Butterflies
SACRAMENTO, Calif., August 10, 2021—From a nature reserve in Los Angeles to a school garden in the Central Valley to tribal land in the Sierra Foothills, over 140 habitat projects creating safe places for monarchs and other pollinators have been made possible through the Xerces Society’s habitat kit program in California. As a result, more […]
Posted inCalifornia
Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act
During the 24th Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, nearly 100 volunteers donned their masks and practiced social distancing to carefully survey groves of trees on the California and Northern Baja coast for monarch butterflies. Despite the challenges of conducting field work during a pandemic, volunteers surveyed 246 sites, three more sites than last year. Unfortunately, to the […]
Posted inEnviro
New Issue of PNAS Lays Out the Case for Why We Should Take Action to Protect Insects
PORTLAND, Ore. January 11, 2021 – With well over one million known species, insects and other invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on Earth. They are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables and nuts; they are food for birds, fish and other animals; they filter water and help […]
Posted inCalifornia
Much-Needed Federal Protection for America’s Beloved Monarch Butterfly Warranted, but Precluded by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
PORTLAND, Ore., December 15, 2020 -Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that listing the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act is warranted, but precluded by other priorities. The monarch was proposed for listing in 2014 through a petition submitted by the Xerces Society and our conservation partners, including Center for Biological Diversity, […]
Posted inCalifornia
Monarch Population in California Spiraling to Another Record Low
PORTLAND, Ore. November 30, 2020 – Early count numbers from the Xerces Society’s Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count suggest that the western migratory population is at an all-time low. Numbers have been received from 74 sites—over 30% of the data anticipated this year—and only 1,224 monarchs have been reported. The greatest number of monarchs at a single site […]
Posted inCalifornia
Western Monarch Call to Action, a 5-point rapid-response action plan to rescue the monarch butterfly
PORTLAND, Ore. Jan. 17, 2019 – The population of monarch butterflies overwintering in California has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded. Surveys done by volunteers with the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count found only 28,429 butterflies, an 86% fall from the previous year—and a 99.4% decline from the number of monarchs in the state in […]
Posted inUncategorized
Conservation Organizations Seek Protection for California’s Endangered Bumble Bees
SACRAMENTO, Calif. October 16, 2018 – Today conservation and food safety groups filed a petition with the California Fish and Game Commission to list four species of native bumble bees—western bumble bee, Franklin’s bumble bee, Crotch’s bumble bee and the Suckley cuckoo bumble bee—as Endangered under California’s Endangered Species Act. Bumble bees are among our […]
Posted inLife
Bee City USA joins forces with the Xerces Society
ASHEVILLE, NC. June 12, 2018 – Bee City USA began as a spark from one person and has grown into a nationwide network of communities large and small dedicated to promoting and protecting pollinators. This remarkable volunteer conservation initiative is joining forces with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to ensure it can continue to […]
Posted inCalifornia
New Guidelines for Protecting California’s Monarch Butterfly Groves
PORTLAND, Ore.; November 9, 2017 – The image of monarch butterflies winging their way for hundreds or thousands of miles to find winter shelter enthralls children and adults alike. To support this annual cycle, monarchs need milkweed and nectar, but also secure overwintering sites, the target of their epic flight. These sites are increasingly under […]
Posted inEnviro
Mussel Loss Threatens Health of Creeks in Western North America
PORTLAND, Ore. October 30, 2017 – Freshwater mussels filter water, keeping it clean and clear for salmon and other aquatic wildlife. A study published Friday shows that these important animals have been lost from 1 in 5 watersheds in which they occurred in western North America, and more than one third of watersheds in which […]
Posted inSci/Tech
New Western Monarch and Milkweed Website Launched
PORTLAND, Ore., February 21, 2017—The monarch, one of the best known and most beloved butterflies in North America, faces an uncertain future. Loss of milkweed is the most significant factor contributing to declines in the eastern United States, yet little is known about the reasons for decline west of the Rockies. To help fill this […]
Posted inCalifornia
Number of Monarchs Overwintering in California Remains Low
PORTLAND, Ore., February 8, 2017 – A survey of monarch butterflies overwintering in California shows that the population has not rebounded. Although the total number of monarchs counted this year was greater than last, the difference is due to a large increase in volunteer effort. Counts at major sites were down when compared to recent […]
Posted inCalifornia
Twenty Years of Counting Monarch Butterflies in California
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., November 18, 2016—Monarch butterflies have returned to forested groves along the California coast for the winter, and once again volunteers for the Xerces Society Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count are heading out to observe and monitor this phenomenon. This year is particularly exciting because it marks the 20th time the count has been […]