DESCRIPTION: The Monarch Butterfly is an incredible species with a unique natural history. However, populations of this charismatic butterfly have plummeted in recent years due to many factors. Understanding the plight of one of the most iconic insects in the world could help us save it. The western migratory population of Monarchs is at an all-time low, with numbers at a tiny fraction of the millions that likely visited overwintering sites in the 1980s and the hundreds of thousands that graced California’s coast as recently as the mid-2010s. Let’s check the current status of monarch populations, their overwintering numbers, Endangered Species Status, and examine several of the threats effecting our Monarch population. Also, there will be a focus on monarch butterflies in Southern California with best practices for protecting and improving habitat.