Did you Know Lamar, Colorado is a Designated Monarch City?
Coloradans may notice more monarch butterflies than usual flying throughout the state during the fall.
That's because thousands of monarchs are making their way to Mexico, where they'll stay for the winter. The route across north America is nearly 3,000 miles long and the butterflies travel together in colonies to help keep warm during the trip, which is why we suddenly see way more fluttering around throughout the later months of the year.
Because so many monarchs travel through Colorado, the city of Lamar was actually recognized as being an official Monarch City this past spring. According to the Monarch City USA website, places with this designation go above and beyond to do things that directly help the monarch population thrive.
After wildlife officials claimed that nearly a billion monarch butterflies have vanished since 1990, the creators of Monarch City USA developed the idea to have municipalities across the country come together to help recover the monarch population and increase their survival. Designated cities are responsible for doing simple things, like planting milkweed and nectar plants within their borders.Currently, there are 48 recognized Monarch Cities