A new data analysis has confirmed the importance of California state parks for the survival of the western monarch butterfly, according to the California State Parks Foundation.
A review of 26 years of data on the western monarch butterfly population shows that a significant number are found in California state parks. Since the annual Western Monarch Count began in 1997, California state parks have hosted at least 20% of the population at overwintering sites, the foundation said.
In some years, this figure has reached over 50%, the survey revealed. In 2023, over 22% of western monarch butterflies were spotted in state parks, according to the survey.
In 2019 and 2020, Lighthouse Field State Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach, and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve — three of the most important overwintering sites in the state — hosted around 50% of all butterflies, the foundation said.
“California State Parks is the single largest land manager of overwintering groves for western monarch butterflies,” said Rachel Norton, Executive Director of California State Parks Foundation. “Monarch butterflies depend on these groves for their survival. Our state parks have a key role to play in the preservation of this iconic California species.”
The monarch butterfly is one of North America’s most recognizable and charismatic butterflies, known for its vibrant orange and black wings and extraordinary annual migration. Every year, western monarch butterflies (the subspecies found west of the Rocky Mountains) travel thousands of miles — from Baja California to the Canadian border and back again — to spend the winter at overwintering sites along the California coast.
Many of these sites are found in California state parks.
A detailed report on the survey is available on the California State Parks Foundation website.
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