14 March marks National Learn About Butterflies Day in the US, and to celebrate I've been researching how to prepare your yard for returning monarch butterflies. These gorgeous winged creatures migrate south for winter and start to return in spring to lay eggs. Before their arrival, there's much to be done to ensure our gardens are resource-rich sanctuaries for them and their soon-emerging caterpillars.
In the monarch butterfly migration, these beauties travel up to 3,000 miles from North America to Mexico before returning north when temperatures warm up again in early spring. But, the sad news is they're an endangered species with the number of overwintering monarchs significantly decreasing over the last decade. That's why it's never been more important to provide them with a slice of paradise in our backyards – from offering water sources and nectar-rich blooms, to protecting caterpillars to ensure survival of the next generation.
