I saw on the news this morning that the monarch butterflies could get out on endangered species list.
Sadly, the biggest issue with Monarchs is habitat loss, and that's not something that will be fixed if they're put on the endangered species list. Actually, its unlikely that anything will be done to actually help them if they end up on the list. One thing that will change is that they'll be "protected", which means it'll become illegal to collect eggs and caterpillars to raise. Some individuals and nature centers raise dozens, even hundreds of them each year, and most of them would not have made it to adulthood if they were not collected and sheltered from predators, so putting them on the list may have some negative impacts.
We need habitat. Our cities and states need to invest in it. It can be done, and it's significantly less expensive to do now than it will be in another decade or two. It's hard to get everyone on board because so many people see no value in restoring our planet's habitats.
Luckily, our gardens can help... to an extent. They won't replace vast prairies, but they can be a good refueling spot for exhausted Monarchs, and a place for them to lay their eggs.
