Official count confirms monarch butterflies are back, in a big way
Quick Take
The nonprofit organization that monitors monarchs during their wintering months in the West announced Tuesday that butterfly populations have jumped from 2020-21 numbers by more than a hundredfold, from an all-time low of less than 2,000 to almost a quarter-million.
The monarch butterfly population in Santa Cruz County and all along the California coast is on the rebound.
In a big way.
The nonprofit organization that monitors monarchs during their wintering months in the West announced Tuesday that butterfly populations have jumped from 2020-21 numbers by more than a hundredfold, from an all-time low of less than 2,000 to almost a quarter-million.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation posted its final tally of the Western monarch at 247,237, the highest total since 2016. Most of the monarchs in Santa Cruz County were found at Natural Bridges State Park and Moran Lake in Pleasure Point. Both sites registered more than 1,000 butterflies each.
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Santa Cruz turned out to be the northernmost spot for significant populations of monarchs, with fewer than 600 spotted in the Bay Area between San Mateo and Mendocino counties. Most of the butterflies were found in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Emma Pelton of the Xerces Society said in a statement, “We’re ecstatic with the results and hope this trend continues.” However, she added that there is “no single cause or definitive answer” to the uptick. But even with the dramatic bounce back, monarch populations have fallen by even larger numbers over the past 30 years, losing 95% of their numbers since the 1980s.
Tuesday’s announcement were the results of a count conducted in late November and early December. The results of a second count that concluded Jan. 9 will be announced in February.
