Utah State University students are helping with ongoing research of monarch butterflies in the Uintah Basin. In an article featured in Utah State University TODAY, USU student researcher and Uintah Basin native Carson Liesik provided some details. “Monarch butterflies are facing a large historical decline over the last 40 years,” said Liesik. “Their population, as of the beginning of 2020, was estimated at about 30,000 monarchs in the Western United States, which is about a 99 percent drop in their abundance as compared to data from the 1980s. We are hoping to learn how to help the monarch butterfly population recover from its historic decline. This project is a crucial step towards this goal.” Liesik said that the student researchers tagged each butterfly with a unique number so that if it is recaptured at a later date, its migration path can be mapped as well as habitat use and activity. If the general public wants to help with the recovery of monarch butterflies, consider planting native milkweed at your home or have a pollinator plot in your yard, especially with flowers that bloom in the late summer or fall, explained Liesik. Reducing or eliminating the use of harmful pesticides can also help. Check out the entire article shared at www.usu.edu/today under the Teaching and Learning tab.
Photo credit: USU Uintah Basin
