MACON, Ga. — The Wildlife Society says the monarch butterfly population is going downhill. Sabrina Burse shows us how folks at Lake Jonesco Golf Course want to help the monarchs make a comeback.
Emily Carter golfs at the Lake Jonesco Golf Course a few times a week. She says she gets to see a lot of nature outside while playing her favorite sport. "Definitely a lot of squirrels, birds -- you always hear things like geese," said Carter. She noticed one thing she hasn't seen in a while. "I don't really see butterflies outside."
The Wildlife Society says the monarch butterfly population declined more than 90 percent in the last two decades. They attribute that to habitat loss. Maddie Beck was shocked when she heard the statistics.
"The same as humans, we need something healthy to live in and they need something healthy to live in to help them grow," said Beck.
Assistant Recreation Director Michael Woodward says the course plans to plant milkweed seed in out-of-play areas on the course to help the butterflies survive. Jones County commissioners agreed to move forward for the course to join a program called "Monarchs in the Rough," which provides the milkweed seeds in hopes of creating about one acre of a high-quality monarch habitat.
"Even though the butterflies are really small, I do believe they do have a purpose on this Earth," said Carter.
The monarchs are pollinators for some wildflowers. Beck says that and their beauty is something she remembers from her childhood.
"They're colorful and big and just float in the air, and they are just pretty," said Beck.
With the help of this golf course and other courses around the nation, the monarch group hopes to help these butterflies migrate 3,000 miles. It's a journey the group says takes generations to complete.
"I think it's really good that Jonesco is able to help the nature," said Carter.
In 2014, advocates petitioned the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. In June, the wildlife service will decide on whether the monarch butterfly will be placed on the endangered or threatened species list.