Ways to Help the Troubled Monarch Butterflies
2022-08-04
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The migrating monarch butterfly is considered an endangered species.
2Scientists say the dropping numbers of monarchs are due to climate change, loss of habitat and the use of pesticides -chemicals that kill insects - and herbicides - chemicals that kills plants.
3But there are things that people living in the United States can do to help the beloved black-and-orange insects.
4One of the quickest and best ways to help is to plant milkweed on your property.
5Milkweed is a kind of plant that has white juice.
6Monarch butterflies eat milkweed and lay their eggs there.
7They need milkweed to survive.
8It is important to choose the right kind of milkweed.
9Dawn Rodney is a chief officer at the National Wildlife Federation in Reston, Virginia.
10She said not all milkweed is the same.
11"There is an invasive species called tropical milkweed that we're seeing more and more, and people are not understanding that it does more harm than good," Rodney said.
12Planting tropical milkweed in the United States is a problem because it is not native to the country.
13It blooms or flowers for longer periods of time.
14This can make it harder for monarchs to know when it is time to migrate.
15To find the right kind of milkweed, you can use the National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant finder.
16Other plants, especially ones with flowers that have nectar, can be helpful to adult monarchs.
17Be sure to choose plants that are native to your area.
18These plants can be good-quality food sources for the butterflies.
19It is a good idea to include plants that bloom later in the growing season.
20These plants can help give monarchs the energy they need for their yearly migration in autumn.
21You can find a Monarch Nectar Plant List tool by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture and the Xerces Society at this website.
22It is also important to know the source of the plants you buy.
23Rodney said that different chemicals are used to keep the plants looking appealing to buyers.
24It is important to ask the garden center workers about pest-management practices.
25The chemicals can hurt the next generation of butterflies.
26When butterflies lay their eggs on the plant, the caterpillars that are born will die as they eat the leaves of the plant.
27Adult butterflies can die when they eat pollen and nectar of plants treated with the harmful pesticide called neonicotinoid.
28You can prevent monarch deaths by buying from trusted, organic sources, or you can grow your own plants from seeds.
29Next, think about the chemicals you use in your own garden.
30Chemicals can harm insects, including monarchs.
31They can also harm birds.
32Natural or organic pesticides may also be also harmful.
33Use products like Neem oil only after dark, when butterflies are not as active.
34When the morning arrives, the product will be dry and not as effective.
35The butterflies will be safe.
36Another way to help monarchs is to create a butterfly puddle area.
37Make a mud puddle or add water to sand in a sunny area.
38Set a flat rock in the middle of the area.
39Butterflies can rest on the stone, soak up the sun and drink the water from the puddle.
40And you can sit and enjoy the beautiful monarchs.
41I'm Faith Pirlo.
1The migrating monarch butterfly is considered an endangered species. Scientists say the dropping numbers of monarchs are due to climate change, loss of habitat and the use of pesticides -chemicals that kill insects - and herbicides - chemicals that kills plants. 2But there are things that people living in the United States can do to help the beloved black-and-orange insects. 3One of the quickest and best ways to help is to plant milkweed on your property. Milkweed is a kind of plant that has white juice. Monarch butterflies eat milkweed and lay their eggs there. They need milkweed to survive. 4It is important to choose the right kind of milkweed. Dawn Rodney is a chief officer at the National Wildlife Federation in Reston, Virginia. She said not all milkweed is the same. 5"There is an invasive species called tropical milkweed that we're seeing more and more, and people are not understanding that it does more harm than good," Rodney said. 6Planting tropical milkweed in the United States is a problem because it is not native to the country. It blooms or flowers for longer periods of time. This can make it harder for monarchs to know when it is time to migrate. 7To find the right kind of milkweed, you can use the National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant finder. 8Other plants, especially ones with flowers that have nectar, can be helpful to adult monarchs. Be sure to choose plants that are native to your area. These plants can be good-quality food sources for the butterflies. 9It is a good idea to include plants that bloom later in the growing season. These plants can help give monarchs the energy they need for their yearly migration in autumn. 10You can find a Monarch Nectar Plant List tool by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture and the Xerces Society at this website. 11It is also important to know the source of the plants you buy. 12Rodney said that different chemicals are used to keep the plants looking appealing to buyers. It is important to ask the garden center workers about pest-management practices. 13The chemicals can hurt the next generation of butterflies. When butterflies lay their eggs on the plant, the caterpillars that are born will die as they eat the leaves of the plant. 14Adult butterflies can die when they eat pollen and nectar of plants treated with the harmful pesticide called neonicotinoid. 15You can prevent monarch deaths by buying from trusted, organic sources, or you can grow your own plants from seeds. 16Next, think about the chemicals you use in your own garden. Chemicals can harm insects, including monarchs. They can also harm birds. 17Natural or organic pesticides may also be also harmful. Use products like Neem oil only after dark, when butterflies are not as active. When the morning arrives, the product will be dry and not as effective. The butterflies will be safe. 18Another way to help monarchs is to create a butterfly puddle area. Make a mud puddle or add water to sand in a sunny area. Set a flat rock in the middle of the area. 19Butterflies can rest on the stone, soak up the sun and drink the water from the puddle. And you can sit and enjoy the beautiful monarchs. 20I'm Faith Pirlo. 21Jessica Damiano wrote this article for The Associated Press. Faith Pirlo adapted it for Learning English. 22______________________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24species- n. class of plants or animals whose members have the same main characteristics and can breed with each other. 25habitat - n. the natural environment of a plant or animal 26invasive - adj. tending to spread 27tropical - adj. of or occurring in the tropics 28migrate - v. to travel to a different living place (temporary in the case of animals) 29nectar -n. a sweet liquid produced by plants and used by bees in making honey 30bloom - v. to produce flowers 31pest-management - v. to control an animal or insect that causes problems for people especially by damaging crops 32pollen - n. the very fine usually yellow dust that is produced by a plant and that is carried to other plants of the same kind usually by wind or insects so that the plants can produce seeds 33puddle- n. a small amount of water, mud, etc., on the ground 34______________________________________________________________________ 35What do you think of these tips to keep monarchs safe? 36We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 37Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.