Dr. Monte P. Sanford

The community of Pacific Grove is anxious and willing to begin emergency habitat mitigation activities as a result of the pruning operations last fall. Simply put, monarch habitat would benefit from placing potted eucalyptus trees in the “L” of the habitat area in two rows, a row in the Sanctuary and a second row on private property across the fence line.

This low-cost and short-term mitigation effort is likely to benefit monarch butterflies during their winter stay in Pacific Grove by providing wind and storm protection along with providing a number of microclimatic and environmental benefits.

Some people may remain unconvinced that such short-term habitat mitigation efforts will translate into an increase in the number of monarchs that overwinter at the Sanctuary during the 2010-2011 winter. Certainly, monarch counts indicate that numbers may be down and ecological analyses indicate that various environmental factors affect monarch populations.

However, Pacific Grove is the world-famous Butterfly Town, USA. And so why would this beautiful city not be interested in an adaptive approach to improving monarch butterfly habitat to draw and retain monarchs during the winter season? Given that nearly 100,000 people each year visit the Monarch Sanctuary to see one of the most spectacular biological phenomenons on this planet, people from around the world have their eyes fixed on Pacific Grove, its leadership, and the community as a whole to maintain this place as the iconic Butterfly Town.

What is the cost to do so?  Well, if we can get 20 potted eucalyptus that stand 25 feet high (or thereabouts) that might cost about 4000 USD.

What do we need?
(1)  20 or so potted blue gum eucalyptus trees that stand about 25 feet.
(2) 4000 USD to fund the purchase of those trees.