Minnesota's state butterfly--the monarch--is in peril.
DNR experts say the population nationwide is a fraction of what it was 25 to 30 years ago, primarily due to habitat loss. Pollinator Conservation Coordinator Alan Ritchie says much of that is milkweed, which is the only plant caterpillars can develop on.
"Milkweeds have been removed from the landscape because we've sold millions and millions of acres of prairie and other habitat that have been converted to agriculture. We've also lost the nectar resources the adult butterflies need to make the migration. They need nectar to fuel up for flight."
There are a few ways to help strengthen Minnesota's monarch population...by planting milkweed and native wildflowers in your yard, and by purchasing the DNR's new critical habitat license plate featuring pollinators like the monarch and the rusty patch bumblebee. All proceeds go toward habitat conservation.
Listen to WCCO's Laura Oakes' full interview with Ritchie here: