GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cities across North Carolina are joining a nationwide pledge to protect endangered monarch butterflies. 

Cities across North Carolina are joining a nationwide pledge to protect endangered monarch butterflies

The National Wildlife Federation said the number of monarchs has dropped by approximately 90% or more over the last several decades

The Mayor’s Monarch Pledge is a vow to rebuild damaged habitats and ecosystems while teaching residents how to help

According to the National Wildlife Federation, the number of monarchs has dropped by approximately 90% over the last few decades.

The city of Greensboro recently joined cities across the country in signing the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. It is a vow to rebuild monarch’s damaged habitats and ecosystems while teaching residents how to help. 

Lindsey Zarecky, the Greensboro Science Center's vice president of conservation and research, said humans have played a large part in that change. 

“With development, we remove certain things like milkweed, and we put in other ornamentals that butterflies don’t use,” Zarecky said. “With development, we remove certain things like milkweed, and we put in other ornamentals that butterflies don’t use,” Zarecky said. 

She gets to see healing in action at the Greensboro Science Center’s butterfly house. The exhibit is filled with native plants, including flowers and milkweed, that the butterflies can use.

Zarecky said the monarchs are multiplying at such a fast rate that staff have brought in additional milkweed to keep up with the caterpillars’ needs. 

She’s glad to see the city embracing the commitment to protect monarch butterflies, and she hopes more city residents will follow suit. 

“Everything in here, you can have at your house. You can have this in your backyard in a pot on your apartment deck. It’s really nice to know it’s a conservation story that is something you can do at home,” Zarecky said. 

Milkweed and flowers native to your area can be purchased at local farmer’s markets and plant nurseries.