Friend,
In 20 years, the western monarch butterfly population has dropped from 1.2 million down to just 2,000.[1]
And right now, monarchs are waking up from winter hibernation and preparing for their annual migration home to the United States. But when they arrive, the destination could be unforgiving for their offspring: Dangerous pesticides are destroying monarch caterpillars' primary food source, leaving young butterflies weak and hungry.[2,3]
We've advocated for monarch protections -- and now, we need your help to keep dangerous pesticides away from monarch caterpillars' main food source. Help us keep monarchs fed and flying with a donation today.
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To survive the changing seasons, a three-inch monarch must fly up to 3,000 miles each year to reach its winter home in Mexico.[4] And the best fuel for monarch caterpillars is milkweed -- in fact, it's the only food they can eat before they get their wings.[5]
When milkweed disappears, so do monarchs: Researchers found that the disappearance of 1.3 billion milkweed stems has contributed to the 80 percent decline of eastern monarchs and the 99 percent decline of western monarchs.[6,7]
The biggest threat to milkweed? Pesticides. Last summer, scientists found 64 pesticide residues in milkweed.[8] But the pesticides don't just contaminate the milkweed -- some of them kill it.
Without proper food, monarch caterpillars don't have a fighting chance. Environment Colorado is standing up for monarchs. Will you donate?
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Across the country, we've helped pass laws and ordinances against dangerous pesticides that imperil our vulnerable wildlife, such as Maryland and Connecticut's restrictions on neonicotinoids -- a dangerous class of bee-killing pesticides.
Now, as monarch populations plummet, we have to keep winning protections.
We won't stand by and let monarchs go weak and hungry into their first flight. Can we count on you to do the same, Friend?
Help us save monarch caterpillars' main food source.
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Thank you,
Hannah Collazo
State Director
1. John Flesher, "Feds to delay seeking legal protection for monarch butterfly," AP News, December 15, 2020.
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2. Farah Eltohamy, "Monarch butterflies denied endangered species listing despite shocking decline," National Geographic, December 15, 2020.
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3. Lela Nargi, "These caterpillars aren't just hungry, they're hangry," The Washington Post, December 22, 2020.
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4. "Monarch Butterfly Migration and Overwintering," United States Forest Service, last accessed February 15, 2020.
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5. "Monarch Butterfly Habitat Needs," United States Forest Service, last accessed February 15, 2020.
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6. Wayne E. Thogmartin et al., "Restoring monarch butterfly habitat in the Midwestern US: 'all hands on deck'," IOP Science, June 29, 2017.
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7. Theresa Machemer "Why Monarch Butterflies Aren't Getting Endangered Species Status," Smithsonian Magazine, December 21, 2020.
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8. University of Nevada, Reno, "Milkweed, only food source for monarch caterpillars, ubiquitously contaminated," Science News, June 8, 2020.
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Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.
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