It’s been an exciting flight for the western monarch butterflies as they soar back with an hundredfold increase in California, according to the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. More than 247,000 butterflies were counted in 2021, up from 2,000 in 2020. Scientists offered suggestions to what caused the boom. An increase of milkweed plants that the butterflies feed on and lay their eggs. Reduced agricultural activity during the pandemic resulting in less pesticide use. And the wildfires in California may have sparked an exceptional year for wildflowers, creating more food for the butterflies. Although this year’s count is overwhelmingly positive, the number of monarchs has decreased by 95 percent since the 1980s. “Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to double-down on our conservation efforts. Acting quickly to harness the momentum of this upswing is our best chance at preventing western monarchs and other at-risk butterflies from being lost forever,” said Isis Howard, endangered species conservation biologist for the Xerces Society, the organization that manages the annual count.

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