Monarch Butterflies

Above, you can find an image of the poster that was used for the program. However, what the poster does not discuss is how the monarch butterfly's endangerment serves as an example to why balanced ecosystems are important and the threat invasive species pose. 

Due to urbanization, some of the balanced ecosystems of our world have been destroyed. These ecosystems housed the plants that the monarch butterfly needs for survival. With their destruction, the milkweed monarch caterpillars require is wiped out along with wildflowers the adult butterflies get their nectar from. 

This means that we must do our best to protect the remaining ecosystems of our world. It can be difficult to combat urbanization on our own, but what we can do is ensure we are not harming our healthy remaining ecosystems by our actions. We need to be careful that we are not introducing invasive plants into our ecosystems. Even if these invasive plants are 'just' in your yard, they can spread by seed through the wind or birds that eat them. You may not see them spread within your yard, but they are spreading into our ecosystems. From there, they take over the native plants that work to balance our world. 

A common example with the monarch butterfly is the spread of the butterfly bush. This invasive plant may seem to attract and support the butterflies, but it's actually doing more harm than good. Red bull for butterflies, these plants spread and take over our native ones, strangling out the milkweed and wildflowers that provide proper nutrients to monarch butterflies.