PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
720 Goodlette Rd. N, Suite 304 Naples, FL 34102 AttorneyShapiro.com
Inside Life Lessons From the Fairway Page 1
A Busy Parents’ Guide to Back-to-School Organization Real Clients Share What It’s Like to Work for Us Page 2 A Few Things to Know Before Your Next Tee Time Drumstick Pie Page 3 The Butterfly Population Crisis We Can’t Ignore Page 4
A FRAGILE WONDER FACING REAL PRESSURE Why Seeing Fewer Monarch Butterflies Should Concern Us All
Across North America, something extraordinary is slipping away. Populations of various butterfly species are declining at an alarming rate. Western monarchs, in particular, have become a powerful symbol of how vulnerable these insects are to the pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change reshaping the land they depend on. What makes the western monarchs’ story especially heartbreaking is how visible the loss can be. In California, sanctuary sites once counted hundreds of thousands; today’s totals look painfully small by comparison (dropping down to just 12,260 this migration season). In some cases, exposure to toxic pesticides has caused sudden, devastating die-offs of hundreds of monarchs at once. Why the Decline Is So Severe Butterflies are deeply tied to the plants and places they need to survive. Monarch caterpillars depend on milkweed, and adult monarchs only lay their eggs where it is present. But recent studies have found pesticide residues on milkweed at urban sites, nurseries, and even home-garden plants. Scientists have now documented a broader crisis as well. From 2000 to 2020, butterfly populations in the U.S. dropped sharply overall, and some species
declined by 90% or more. For many experts, it’s a warning sign that these losses are part of something much larger than the western monarch alone. A Reason to Keep Going Researchers are testing new ways to track monarchs, locate important breeding sites, and better understand where protection efforts can do the most good. That work matters because when we restore habitats and reduce pesticide use, insects rebound faster than many people expect. With effort and collaboration, hope for the western monarch and other fading species still remains.
At sites like Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, a few hundred monarchs still move through the trees in a quiet, breathtaking migration. Their numbers are lower than they once were, but their presence remains unforgettable. The monarch’s journey is a reminder that fragile things can still be fierce, and that protecting what we love is always worth the effort.
4 • AttorneyShapiro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator