Monarch Butterfly Conservation
Why Monarchs?
- In the summer Monarch habitats are found throughout the USA & Canada, including Vermont. Monarchs migrate to Mexico for Winter.
- In the last 25 years, illegal logging has destroyed 75% of the winter habitat for the monarch butterfly.
- The monarch butterfly population is down over 90% in both North America & Mexico due to habitat destruction. That’s a loss of over 900 million butterflies since the 1990s.
- If we can't even save the world's most beautiful insect (with the world's most amazing migration) what does that say for the future of millions of less glamorous pollinators, and for our food supply? Save monarchs and save hope for the future.
We’re Restoring Monarch Habitat
We’ve been working to help restore the Monarch Butterfly population in Vermont for many years. We’re also helping to reforest the Monarch’s forested winter habitat in Mexico.
Forests For Monarchs
Vermont Woods Studios Founder & CEO, Peggy Farabaugh, has partnered with Jose Luis Alvarez, Founder of “Forests for Monarchs” in Mexico. She volunteers as Vice President of the non profit and supports efforts to restore the monarch butterfly habitats accross North America.
We are raising awareness of the problems the Monarch’s face from illegal deforestation in Mexico and the use of toxic herbicides that are destroying monarch summer habitat accross North America.
We hosted a "Save the Monarchs " Tour with Jose Luis to discuss the threats facing the monarch butterfly, forest conservation, milkweed growth and more. We stopped at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Museum of Science-Boston, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Yale's Marsh Botanical Gardens, Audubon Greenwich and the Philadelphia Zoo.
About Jose Luis Alvarez
Milkweed & Caterpillars
Vermont Woods Studios staff members have collected millions of milkweed seeds which we plant and distribute throughout our area. Milkweed is the only plant Monarch Butterflies eat as caterpillars.
We adopt monarch caterpillars and share the wonder of their metamorphosis with children and adults in our community.
You can learn more about our mission to save the monarchs on our blog.
Our Customers are Making a Difference
For each furniture order, we plant an average of 30 trees in the monarch's winter habitat in Mexico.
Jose Luis and his team have planted almost 11 million trees in Mexico. In the picture to the left, the red arrows are showing areas that Forests for Monarchs has reforested.
How to Get Involved
Plant milkweed in your garden or backyard. Have a party and invite your friends and neighbors to help!
Plant Trees
Want to help us save the Monarch’s winter habitat? Visit our partners at Forests for Monarchs to learn more and make a donation.
Visit the Monarch Sanctuary
Visit the Monarch’s winter habitat and take Jose Luis’ Spirit of Butterflies tour. It’s a trip you'll never forget. We promise!
Want to learn more about the monarch tours? You can find that info and more at the Forests For Monarchs website:
Forests For Monarchs WebsiteJoin our monarch butterfly group on Facebook to learn more.
Join the discussionFeatured Blogs
How to Make Milkweed and Flower Seed Bombs for Pollinators
Monarch Watch estimates we’ve lost 147 million acres (an area 4 times the size of Illinois) of summer habitat in the USA & Canada since they began monitoring in 1992.
2016 Monarch Butterfly Tour: A Trip Report
Monarch Watch estimates we’ve lost 147 million acres (an area 4 times the size of Illinois) of summer habitat in the USA & Canada since they began monitoring in 1992.
Hell No, We Won’t Mow
Over the last couple decades the population has declined by over 90% leaving the monarch in imminent danger of extinction. Once a billion butterflies strong, there are now only about 50 million and the need to conserve their habitat is urgent.
Vermont Woods Studios Raises Monarch Butterflies
With seven states including Vermont calling it their state insect, it’s a wonder how we’ve let the monarch butterfly population reach the endangered zone.