We Are Nature
A s a lifelong outdoors enthusiast who greatly values the natural world, it is easy to be discouraged when I read the daily news. Not only are environmental protections being threatened (not new in political cycles), but the very people who devote their lives to our public lands and conduct the science vital to Earth’s survival are losing their jobs and seeing their life’s work put on hold. National Wildlife Federation’s Beth Pratt shared with me
Iconic Butterfly Facing Sharp Decline Due to Habitat Loss, Climate Change By Elizabeth Smilor Special Sections Writer I magine a world without the iconic orange and black monarch butterfly. “What will future generations say if we allow the monarch butterfly to go extinct, the biggest, most showy insect on the North American continent,” speculated National Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark
dedicated to insects. “That’s why everyone should care.” The main reasons for the population decline are habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use. Monarchs need host plants (milkweed) for breeding and flowering plants that provide nectar for adults. They also need overwintering sites. While the eastern monarchs make a 3,000-mile migration in winter to Michoacén, Mexico, western monarchs have many overwintering sites along the coast and some have been lost to development. Climate change, with extreme storms and an earlier spring in some areas, has affected monarch life cycles. Finally, the widespread use of
Elizabeth Smilor Executive Editor
from her home near Yosemite that she’s saddened and angry. “I never thought in my lifetime that I’d have to be defending the value of our National Parks. It’s one thing we almost all agree on, that we love our public lands.” NWF is a bipartisan non-profit that she said will continue to protect America’s natural resources for all, as well as the science that guides conservation. “Without science we would not have known why and how to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing,” Pratt said. And as you’ll read in this edition of Southern California Earthday, Angelenos have rallied behind this project because it will reconnect habitat vital to the survival of species from mountain lions to monarch butterflies. National Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore continues his mission to document the world’s 20,000 species in human care before some of them disappear. He’s at 16,625 species and counting. He sees the monarch butterfly as a beautiful example of the plight of many species. “If you can’t save the most beautiful insect in North America. If you don’t even try, what hope is there for the other things?” These experts, naturalists and scientists have a reminder for us: We are nature. We are part of this ecosystem we call Earth. What we do, and don’t do, matters. I implore you to care. Step outside and observe the nature around you. Watch the smallest insect, listen to the birds, and, yes, stop to smell the roses. Stuck at your desk? Go to the Friends of Big Bear Valley live webcam FOBBV Eagle Nest Cam and be inspired by this bald eagle family along with tens of thousands of other human beings. Or tune into another live cam at Explore.org . Pick up one of Sartore’s photo Ark books and look into an animal’s eyes via his photographs.
Elizabeth Smilor birding in Rocky Mountain National Park photo by Alex Smilor
pesticides and herbicide-resistant crops has decimated native plant habitats vital to many insects. “The thing that people don’t understand very well is that monarchs and other pollinators
Founder Joel Sartore. “If we didn’t care enough to plant native plants. We didn’t care enough to do the right thing. I think they will be angry and disappointed. How bad does it have to get?” The monarch butterfly
Chris Lancaster Elizabeth Smilor Scott Pasewalk
Publisher
Executive Editor
Art Director
Chief Strategist and Consultant
have to have habitat that is not constantly sprayed with
Mary Lou Echternach
Government Affairs Consultant Multimedia Specialist
Cathleen Galgiani
Continue Monarch, Page 4
population has declined sharply over the past 20 years. Though genetically
Julia Deng
Steven Georges
Photographer Videographer Contributors
Eric Halsey Amy Bentley Mike Eng
National Geographic Explorer Joel Sartore started the National Geographic Photo Ark in 2006 to create a photo archive of global biodiversity that will feature portraits of more than 25,000 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. He has traveled to more than 60 countries for the project, photographed more than 16,000 species, published multiple Photo Ark books, the most recent is Photo Ark: Babies , started a YouTube Video Ark and addressed many live audiences. He estimates the project will take 25 years to complete.
similar, there are two geographically distinct Monarch populations. The eastern monarch overwinters in Mexico and breeds east of the Rocky Mountains. The western population overwinters along the California coast and breeds in areas west of the Rockies. The eastern population has decreased by an estimated 80% and the western by about 95% in two decades, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Overall, butterfly populations in the U.S. have declined by almost 25%, according to a study published in March in the journal Science . The team of more than 30 researchers collected data from scientists and community volunteers and analyzed 12.6 million butterfly sightings to reach their conclusion. “We need insects or we can’t survive ourselves. We need pollinators to grow fruit, but others, like ants, clean the plants. If they go away, so do we,” said Sartore, whose Photo Ark book catalog includes one
Find hope. It is out there, literally. Then, take action. Cut down on a destructive habit such as plastic use, pesticide use, and driving. Start small and build upon new habits. Start something new. Plant a pollinator garden. Pick up trash. Become a citizen scientist (Examples: ebird. org , inaturalist.org and monarchwatch.org ). Support a non-profit with money or service hours, or both. “Human beings are very destructive, but we are also very caring when we need to be,” Sartore said to me. The time to care is now. For the sake of every species. For the sake of planet Earth. Ultimately, for our own survival.
Civic Publications Executive Editor Elizabeth Smilor is a freelance writer and former editor for the Southern California News Group and the Ventura County Star. A Colorado native, she has lived in Southern California since graduating from USC, and is the proud mom of two Eagle Scouts.
@CivicDigital
Southern California Earthday is published by Civic Publications, Inc. ©2025. For comments or questions, email Chris Lancaster at chris.lancaster@civicpub.com www.civicpublications.com
Joel Sartore, photo by Ellen Sartore.
2 | Earthday 2025
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE L.A. TIMES
Civic Publications, Inc. | 3
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online