Have you ever seen one of these? It’s a Monarch Butterfly. Every spring, millions fly from Mexico and southern California to other parts of the US and southern Canada. And every autumn, they fly back. On the first of November, called the Day of the Dead, people celebrate the return of the monarchs to the mountainous fir forests of Central Mexico.
But their numbers are dropping. In 1997, there were 150 million. Last year there were only 60 million. One problem is the gradual sterilization of American farmlands thanks to powerful herbicides like Roundup. Monarch butterfly larvae eat a plant called milkweed. But the amount of this plant in Iowa, for example, has dropped between 60% and 90% over the last decade.
And this year was much worse for the monarchs. They came late to Mexico… and I think only 3 million have been seen so far! That’s a…
Nature’s beauty is inspirational, no matter the region or the season. Winter 2013-2014 (as of January 8, 2014) has been extremely cold in Maine and around most of the USA as well. Here in Central Maine, we’ve already had more than two feet of snow, several inches of ice and even some freezing rain on days when the air temperature rose above the freezing point and the rain froze as it hit the ground. Nature’s winter wonderland beauty is breathtaking; and, the work it requires is breath-taking, too if you want to leave the homestead… HAPPY WINTER! Stay safe and warm. — Bette A. Stevens, MAINE Author/Illustrator
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 01/09/2014