Saving Western Monarch Butterflies

monarch butterfly in California — Monarch butterfly on a sunflower. Photo by Zoltán Stekkelpak

Get a Closer Look at Save Mount Diablo’s Monarchs and Milkweeds Project!

Monarch butterflies are an iconic North American species. Their migrations, spanning up to 3,000 miles, take them up and down the continent, with Mount Diablo and its sustaining Diablo Range an essential part of that journey.

Their populations have been pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. Save Mount Diablo is working hard to give these butterflies a chance.

monarch caterpillar nestled amongst large milkweed flowers

Monarch caterpillar on California milkweed. Photo by Sean Burke

For five years, Save Mount Diablo has been creating new habitat to aid in the recovery of this endangered species by planting native California milkweed and native nectar plants on our properties.

To start the project, a dedicated volunteer mapped the locations of native milkweeds all over Mount Diablo, giving us crucial insight and native milkweed seeds to work with.

Save Mount Diablo Land Stewardship Manager Roxana Lucero planting California milkweed at Curry Canyon Ranch. Photo by Haley Sutton

Since then, Save Mount Diablo’s Diablo Restoration Team (DiRT) has planted California milkweeds and native nectar plants across Mount Diablo on multiple Save Mount Diablo properties to aid the western monarchs’ recovery.

This work ensures that the Western monarch will have “islands of refuge” on Mount Diablo during its long migration.

This winter, we picked up 300 California milkweed plants at The Watershed Nursery Cooperative and planted them at our Curry Canyon Ranch property.

Volunteer planting California milkweed on Save Mount Diablo’s lands. Photo by Laura Kindsvater

These native milkweeds were grown from seed Save Mount Diablo staff collected across Mount Diablo.

Hundreds of volunteers, including middle and high school students, have come outside to help plant milkweeds for monarchs. They’ve worked hard collecting seeds to create and restore habitat, planting, and watering.

Monarch caterpillar on California milkweed seedling at The Watershed Nursery. Photo by Haley Sutton

Monarchs are in crisis, but they can be saved with your help. How can you support the recovery of this imperiled species?

Plant native milkweeds and nectar plants,
Buy native plants grown without pesticides,
Don’t use pesticides,
Advocate for policies that protect monarchs and other pollinators and their habitat in your area,
Take action within your community to help address climate change.

Each thing you do to help provides a tangible stepping stone on the western monarchs’ road to recovery.