April 7, 2026By Michaela Haas
Monarch butterflies are in steep decline due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate pressures, prompting widespread conservation efforts focused on restoring milkweed and nectar plants along their migration routes. River Partners is working around the state to rebuild habitat—aiming to plant 15 million milkweed plants and restore river corridors—while also advancing research on threats like pesticide contamination. Heritage Growers is helping with these landscape-scale restoration efforts, expanding native plant supply, a critical ingredient to giving monarchs a viable path to recovery, even as smaller community actions also play a supporting role.
“We realized we could do a lot more by working with other people who also wanted to create habitat. Native plants can be expensive, and many people aren’t sure what to plant.”
~ Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Specialist Angela Laws
