Kenneth Abernathy Speaker Saving the Monarch Butterfly

Kenneth Abernathy Speaker Saving the Monarch Butterfly 

Thursday, April 24, 2025, 6-8 pm

United Church of Christ, 4070 Jackdaw Street 

Monarch butterflies undertake a remarkable migration traveling some 3000 miles from Canada and northern United States to warm regions in California and Mexico to escape the cold.  San Diego County is a crucial overwintering site for the Western Monarch population arriving in August and staying over the winter. But it’s not happening how you think despite the fact that yes, unfortunately, the Western Monarch has been in decline since the 1980s with a drop of 86% in between 2018 and 2019. So what’s the story?

Kenneth Abernathy is a California Naturalist and spends a large potion of his time studying urban habitat to create and deliver high quality education to the public.  He is also a friend of the Monarch and is dedicated to providing pesticide free plants for consumption of caterpillars. “ It’s looking more and more like here in San Diego County that Monarchs are discovering new areas to survive during the winter in climate change and winter stays warm.  This is a crucial time for us to start thinking ahead and creating lasting habitats that aren’t cut down in the fall.” (Lakeside Facebook Dec 2024)