The Monarch Butterfly has seen a population decline of 80 percent in recent years and a few groups in Marquette are working to change that.
 
Today members of the Superior Watershed Partnership’s Great Lakes Conservation Corps were out on U.S. 41 in Marquette removing invasive species and planting milkweed. The milkweed is where Monarch Butterflies eat and lay eggs while they are migrating between Canada and Mexico. Milkweed seeds were sent to Marquette residents last week in an effort to increase the plant’s local population. 
 
Emily Goodman, Field Coordinator, Great Lakes Conservation Corps and Climate Conservation Corps throught the Superior Watershed Partnership says it is important to get the community involved in this resurgency effort.
 
She said, “This indicator species is decreasing so drastically and so quickly, so a huge part of it is public outreach just getting the word out to let people know that not only Monarch’s but also migratory birds need this habitat.”
 
The milkweed planting is part of a 19 acre restoration effort along the lake shore.
 
Native grasses, shrubbery and trees will also be planted throughout the summer to help out migratory bird species.