Santa Cruz County is updating its monarch butterfly habitat plan at Moran Lake, using new science to guide safe tree trimming that preserves critical overwintering habitat, writes Jeff Gaffney, director of the Santa Cruz County Parks Department.
monarch butterflies
Posted inEastside / Live Oak / Pleasure Point
Moran Lake faces changes to better protect monarch butterfly habitat from damaging winds
Researchers identified areas of Moran Lake where trees are particularly vulnerable to damage from storms, along with areas that needed better wind protection for monarch butterflies. Crews have cut down trees and are planning a series of changes around the lake.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
As monarch populations plummet, they need our help now more than ever
This year, Natural Bridges, Lighthouse Field and Moran Lake saw the largest clusters of monarchs in the state. But the big cluster locally belies a dismaying trend – monarchs are decreasing across the state. Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, unpacks the trend, discusses new proposals designed to protect monarchs and offers tips on what residents can do in their own backyards. Note: Planting milkweed is not always advised.
Posted inLatest News
Federal plan would protect 289 acres of Santa Cruz coast for monarch butterflies
Federal fish and wildlife officials have proposed protecting nearly 300 acres of Santa Cruz coastline as critical habitat for monarch butterflies as part of a push to have the butterfly’s Western population designated as a threatened species.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Santa Cruz County’s own national monument might finally open to the public next year
Nearly eight years after its designation as part of the California Coastal National Monument, Cotoni-Coast Dairies is poised to open to the public, with trails likely opening as early as summer 2025. Federal approval of a trailhead and parking lot marks a breakthrough after a long struggle to balance public access, environmental protection and community concerns.
Posted inLatest News
Record-breaking heat waves add to risks for Western monarchs
The increasing intensity and frequency of extreme heat likely compounds stresses on the iconic butterfly, worrying biologists about how the struggling population will respond.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
As they go through ecological ‘uncharted territory,’ the time to see migrating monarchs is now
Natural Bridges State Beach is only one of a few hundred sites along the California coast where migrating monarch butterflies regularly spend the winter. Their numbers are down dramatically from a few decades ago, but December is still prime time to experience the monarchs.
Posted inUncategorized
West Cliff senior living facility approved by SC City Council after hearing appeals by developer, residents
The assisted living facility proposed for a Eucalyptus Avenue site off of West Cliff Drive continues to move forward, with the Santa Cruz City Council passing the project by a 5-2 vote. Residents may appeal the project once again to the Coastal Commission within 10 days, or by Dec. 13.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
West Cliff assisted living project passes by slim margin; affordability main concern among ‘no’ votes
Does affordability apply to assisted living facilities? Not according to city regulations, but two Santa Cruz planning commissioners voted against the plan, citing those concerns. The proposal for a 76-unit senior living facility is moving forward, with issues including traffic and preserving monarch butterfly habitat part of the plan.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
‘Remember the butterflies?’ The monarchs are on their way — let’s plan a welcome feast
For decades, Natural Bridges State Beach has attracted monarch butterflies and crowds eager to glimpse their delicate beauty. Their numbers are now dwindling — down 99.9% since the 1980s — and the iconic orange and black insects are coming in smaller numbers to Santa Cruz. Longtime resident and writer Claudia Sternbach remembers trips with her in-laws, her Montessori class and the day the Loma Prieta earthquake solidified her love for the colorful, winged visitors. She also helps us think about what small acts we can do to help them survive.