Climate Change and Butterflies
Climate change is affecting all parts of the global community. This is especially true regarding butterflies. Butterflies are on the brink of extinction according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
With global warming many butterfly species are struggling as to when to lay their eggs in order to find the necessary food needed to develop.
Like humans, the megadroughts affecting countries, also affect butterflies who need water to live.
Very strong storms, heavy rains, and wildfires take a great toll on butterflies when their habitats are destroyed and they have nowhere to go.
Lastly, pesticide use in home gardens and in large farming areas kill off butterflies.
What Can We Do? Below are some easy fixes all of us can do to keep butterflies in our world.
• Go Easy on the Hedge Cutting, leave some space for butterflies.
• In the Fall season leave some leaves in selected areas of your garden.
• Plant butterfly friendly plants as wild flowers or flowers native to your area of the country
• Avoid pesticide use in the Spring and Summer months. They can be deadly for pollinators like butterflies.
• Keep up to date about butterflies and bees.
Butterflies have been widely used by ecologists as model organisms to study the impact of habitat loss and climate change. Now is the time to think what each of us can do to support all living creatures, especially butterflies.
Ann Kasparek