On Sunday, over 1,200 monarch butterfly lovers gathered at Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve to attend the fifth annual Monarch Festival. Betsy Yankowiak from the Little River Wetlands Project greeted the people giving the beautiful butterfly royal treatment. It is the time of year when monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico for the winter.

According to Yankowiak, the preserve expects that many monarch butterflies will stop by the site nearby the Fox Island County Park. “Volunteers at the festival gave away about 500 milkweed plants and planted an equal number in the marsh, which is an approved Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch”, Yankowiak added.

A number of studies have shown that monarch butterfly is a threatened species whose population is declining rapidly. While considering statistics by the Little River Wetlands Project, Yankowiak said that about 12 years ago, monarch butterflies covered more than 25 acres in Mexico. The number of monarch butterflies was reduced to just 1.65 acres in 2013, which is worrisome, as per Yankowiak.

Experts said that monarch butterfly population is declining and the disappearing milkweed plant is the reason behind that. Martha Ferguson from the Riverview Nursery in Spencerville said the Milkweed plant is the only larval host. Ferguson was ready to provide milkweed plants and other bushes native to the area.

According to Ferguson, another plant is paw-paw trees that can be found in wet soils. The plant is among the favorites of zebra swallowtail, butterfly native to the eastern United States.