WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has dropped 14.8 percent, according to a new report from Mexican officials.

Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“With monarch butterflies now down 90 percent in the last 20 years, we simply must do more if we are going to be successful in reversing monarch butterfly decline. Americans have made great progress in recent years on protecting and expanding habitat for monarch butterflies, as well as native bees and other pollinators, but the monarch continues to struggle in the face of multiple threats, including degradation of their Mexican mountain forest habitat, rapid loss of milkweed habitat in their central flyway, the increased use of pesticides and other toxic chemicals, and impacts from climate change. 

“The National Wildlife Federation will continue working with Americans and communities across our nation to plant native milkweed – the only plant that hosts monarch eggs and feeds their young – and other pollinator-friendly plants. We must continue working together to help save the monarch butterfly and reverse the overall trend of declining wildlife populations in the United States.”

The National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to protect and expand habitat for monarch butterflies, pollinators and other wildlife include:

• Approximately 1.5 million acres protected across 217,000 Certified Wildlife Habitats
• 370 U.S. mayors have signed the Mayors' Monarch Pledge, agreeing to take specific actions to protect and expand monarch butterfly habitat
• Approximately 700,000 pollinator gardens planted in partnership with the National Pollinator Garden Network
• More than 150,000 Americans have pledged to be Butterfly Heroes