This blog post was written by Cynthia Zhang, a 2024 OurEcho Challenge Winner

It’s a warm August day, and a flash of orange catches your eye in your garden. Scanning your patch of milkweed, you spot a monarch butterfly perched delicately on the pink blossoms. Moments later, it flutters off into the blue sky. That might be the last time you will ever see a monarch butterfly.

Annually, scientists survey the oyamel fir forests in Mexico to measure the overwintering monarch population, but the numbers grow more alarming year after year. With the increasing threats of climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide and herbicide use, last year’s monarch butterfly alone has dropped 60% compared to the previous year—suffering its second lowest count on record or a 95% drop in the past 3 decades. But that’s not going to stop youth in Long Island, New York.

This summer, OurEcho Challenge winning team Monarchs Matter hosted the Raise, Tag, and Release (RTR) Summer Program in Port Washington and Manhasset, New York to empower youth to fight the monarch decline through a “learning-while-doing” approach. Over 10 weeks, students learned the importance of biodiversity and native plants, all while raising and tagging more than 80 monarch butterflies, planting 100 native milkweed plants (the exclusive host plant of monarch butterflies), and collecting over 1400 citizen science data (for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project and the Monarch Watch Tagging Program).

Witnessing first-hand the full metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly, Monarchs Matter Founder Cynthia Zhang hopes that sharing the fascinating experience with summer program students will engage our future generation with environmental conservation. Thus, to assess the program’s effectiveness, students were asked to fill out a survey, including a reflection on their experience. With the help of 8 judges (EarthEcho International Associate Director of Programs Kasey Gaylord-Opalewski, New York State Senate District 7 Candidate and Baxter’s Pond Foundation Co-President Kim Keiserman, ReWild Long Island Founder and Board President Raju Rajan, ReWild Board Member Kathy Coley, ReWild Board Member Gloria Frazee, ReWild Volunteer Francesca Zahner, Science Museum of Long Island Board Member Peggy Maslow, Bow Seat Youth Engagement Director Jeremy Pivor), Monarchs Matter selected the top 4 student reflections, and the winners were awarded during October’s Commendation Ceremony. The testimonials revealed that it wasn’t just the monarch butterflies that metamorphosed but RTR students as well. One such student was Herricks High School sophomore Geeta Dey, who had not only shown her enthusiasm through her reflection but also her hard work and dedication during the program. Geeta wrote:

"A caterpillar's transformation is not unknown, yet at first glance, the entire feat seemed unimaginable. How could some insect sludge turn into ethereal wings of black, white, and orange? In a matter of days, I observed the evolution of my two caterpillars into butterflies. At first, I caught glimpses of them climbing up to the net's top and forming a J-hang. Their stripes had been replaced by a shade of vibrant green. However, when I checked on the chrysalis again, only one butterfly had emerged. The other chrysalis maintained an opaque black color (a sign of illness). What caused the other chrysalis to become ill? This was shocking for me since I cleaned the nets and the container frequently. Raising this butterfly, I realized how vulnerable monarch butterflies are to the environment. If by accident they are exposed to any harmful substance, their metamorphosis would be in danger at any stage. By the end of the day, I had learned more than the developmental stages of metamorphosis; I had learned about the threats that monarch butterflies face and how their dwindling population affects the environment.”

“My insight on monarch butterflies had changed from before; I had learned that each organism plays a vital role in the environment, no matter how small or large. After releasing the butterflies at the Science Museum of Long Island, I noticed that the monarch butterflies are attracted to the Joe-Pye-weed. They are a crucial pollinator for a variety of plants. Therefore, the absence of one organism is going to affect other organisms. If monarchs became extinct, there would be decreasing populations of some birds, wasps, and other animals that feed on monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies are vital in ensuring a healthy ecosystem, which provides us with beautiful flowers on our lawns and the food we eat. Preserving the monarch butterfly population is essential for the environment and people.”

“By living in a world where wildlife is slowly disappearing, I am learning the significance of their absence. Within the amount of time I spent with my caterpillars, I realized how susceptible they are to danger. For example, I had most recently looked into what caused the Black Death. Through this experience, I could familiarize myself with an array of pathogens in nature. Moreover, increasing my understanding of plants and animals, such as butterflies, is beneficial in earning a degree in biology. The conservation could be accelerated by other biological applications, such as chemicals that can kill parasites.”

“From this project, I realized how interconnected we are with nature. Insects, such as monarch butterflies, are as susceptible to diseases and parasites as humans are. Little by little, I am shifting my perspective of nature. There is more to be captivated than by the beauty that surrounds us. As I watched my butterfly flutter away, I realized that a seed of beauty requires patience and time to blossom. Besides biology and a butterfly’s metamorphosis, I also learned that each effort in life will bring change through time."

Although it’s the off-season, Monarchs Matter is still working to restore monarch habitat. Alongside the ReWild Long Island Community Gardens Program, Monarchs Matter has funded Monarch Waystation certifications and signage for over 27,000 square feet of monarch habitat spanning 10 community and home native gardens. To combat deforestation of monarch overwintering habitat, Monarchs Matter is also partnering with Forests for Monarchs to restore Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) by planting 16,000 oyamel fir trees, offsetting more than 500 tons of carbon per year.

Monarchs Matter has also shifted its focus to creating an educational webinar series to inspire collective action against biodiversity loss on a global scale. Collaborating with international environmentalists and organizations from Canada, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Nigeria, these webinars have reached over 700 individuals from 21 countries. Like Zero-Waste Chef Anne Marie-Bonneau said, we don’t need a handful of people promoting biodiversity and practicing sustainability perfectly, but millions of people joining hands and learning how to do it imperfectly.

For more information and updates about Monarchs Matter, visit www.MonarchsMatter.net or follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook.

If you enjoyed our first RTR student reflection featured in this article, stay tuned for more coming soon to the Monarch Moments Blog!