An iconic winged beauty feared to be on the verge of extinction was spotted more around the West last year, including in Colorado.
In summarizing 2021 findings from its seasonal, decades-old count of black-and-orange-striped monarchs, it was a "surprising and remarkable outcome," read a recent news release from Oregon-based Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Largely covering the butterfly's overwintering destinations along the California coast and largely led by volunteer scientists, the count yielded 247,237 monarchs. That, Xerces reported, was more than a 100-fold increase from 2020, a record year for wildfires across the West that hindered migration. It was the most counted since 2016, according to the organization, which also noted more volunteers out tallying in 2021.
