If you had to pick a symbol to represent toughness, you could do worse than pick the Monarch butterfly. These fragile creatures migrate from Canada all the way down to Baja, California, or to Mexico in the winter, and then back north again in the summer.
Monarch populations are in decline, however, mainly due to a loss of habitat. Their favourite food is milkweed, and the milkweed has fallen victim to urban development, herbicides containing glyphosate (most notably Roundup®), and roadside management.
MonarchWatch is an organization dedicated to restoring Monarch butterfly populations and you can help, especially if you live along the migratory pathways of the butterfly. Your first option is to create a Monarch waystation. This is a garden that contains three varieties of milkweed, and several nectar plants. You can order a kit that comes with all the seeds you need, as well as detailed instructions for planting. If you already have readily available milkweed in your area, you might try a Monarch rearing kit, which allows you to actually raise Monarchs from the larval stage.
And of course, if these options are a bit beyond your gardening or naturalist abilities, you can always simply donate to the project or buy a t-shirt.
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