Helping the Monarch Butterfly Take Flight

In late summer and early fall, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park can witness the incredible southward migration of Monarch butterflies, which travel for thousands of miles across North America. Grand Canyon and the Colorado River are part of the Monarch's migration flyway. The park offers host plants, especially milkweed, that sustain the butterflies during their journey.

Unfortunately, this once-common butterfly species is suffering a severe population decline, including a 90% decrease during the past decade. To help preserve this iconic creature, park staff recently created a series of pilot pollinator gardens. These gardens, planted with milkweed on the South and North Rims, are intended to help Monarch conservation efforts. This conservation program is also part of a much larger citizen science project that stretches beyond the park's borders.

Based on the initial success of the pollinator gardens, it is clear that the program needs to be expanded – and quickly. Doing so allows Grand Canyon to play an important part in helping reverse Monarch populations' precipitous decline.

Your Gift: Helping Monarch populations take flight again

Your generous gift will:

• Support proven restoration techniques to create new pollinator gardens and expand existing ones in multiple sites within Grand Canyon National Park.
• Enable seed collection and plant propagation efforts within the park.
• Facilitate the tagging and tracking of Monarch butterflies found in Grand Canyon pollinator gardens.