Butterfly And Insect Populations Crash In Illinois And Beyond
By Jerome McDonnellButterfly And Insect Populations Crash In Illinois And Beyond
By Jerome McDonnellLast fall, The New York Times’ article “The Insect Apocalypse is Here” caused quite a stir. It detailed research demonstrating a precipitous drop in insect populations in places as far apart as Germany and Puerto Rico. Doug Taron is chief curator at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. He founded the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. He recently made a presentation entitled “I Don’t See As Many Butterflies As I Used To. Is This Statement Really Correct?”. Data on Illinois’ butterflies supports reporting of an insect apocalypse. Joining Taron is Peggy Simonson, a board member and past president of Citizens for Conservation. Her group is one of the organizations acting urgently on this region’s biodiversity. We’ll hear about their restoration efforts and how their Native Plant Sale can help you preserve this region’s endangered species.