Got Milkweed?

The monarch butterfly migration is one of nature’s most wondrous events. Millions of monarchs travel from as far north as Canada to gather each winter in a forested mountain range of Michoacan, Mexico, now a World Biosphere Reserve. Sadly, without milkweed to eat along the route, the incredible long-distance monarch migration is doomed. You can help the monarchs by planting milkweed this spring. It’s a fun and simple way to preserve an amazing migration and beautify your yard!

Over the years, at the Colorado River & Trail Expeditions’ office in Salt Lake City, Utah, we’ve seen a lot of monarch butterflies pass through our yard. We have a wild crop of milkweed that blooms each year and then turns into silver filaments of “cotton” that drift away on the breeze. When we consider how far these dainty monarchs fly on their journeys between Canada and Mexico, we consider their stopover in our yard as a gift. It’s a pleasure to watch them through the window and as we go about our work. With our first river trip launching today, it’s officially “spring,” and time to check the milkweed and make sure it’ getting ready to bloom!

Portions of this article was reprinted from Wild Earth Guardians.