As habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change drive steep population declines, scientists are studying where monarchs travel, rest and reproduce to identify the protections they need most.
Researchers are tracking migration routes across North America to pinpoint critical breeding and overwintering grounds.
The findings could guide efforts to restore milkweed and native wildflowers, which monarch caterpillars and adults depend on.
Better data may also help conservation groups reduce pesticide exposure and protect habitats along the butterflies’ long journey.
Climate change is altering seasonal conditions, potentially disrupting the timing of migration and the availability of food.
Monarch populations remain vulnerable, but migration research offers a practical path forward: protect the places butterflies use at every stage of their life cycle.