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PAGE 12A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JUNE 23. 2022
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4 Monarch butterflies are thriving 5 *
Monarch summer
numbers have
remained stable for 25 years
despite dire
warnings.
By Leigh Beeson
UGA Extension
For years, scientists have
warned that monarch butter
flies are dying off in droves
because of diminishing win
ter colonies. But new re
search from the University of
Georgia shows that the sum
mer population of monarchs
has remained relatively stable
over the past 25 years.
Published in Global
Change Biology’, the study
suggests that population
growth during the summer
compensates for butterfly
losses due to migration, win
ter weather and changing en
vironmental factors.
“There’s this perception
out there that monarch popu
lations are in dire trouble, but
we found that’s not at all the
case,” said Andy Davis, cor
responding author of the
study and an assistant re
search scientist in UGA’s
Odum School of Ecology. “It
goes against what everyone
thinks, but we found that
they’re doing quite well. In
fact, monarchs are actually
one of the most widespread
butterflies in North Amer
ica.”
The study authors caution
against becoming compla
cent, though, because rising
global temperatures may
bring new and growing
threats not just to monarchs
but to all insects.
“There are some once
widespread butterfly species
that now are in trouble,” said
William Snyder, co-author of
the paper and a professor in
UGA’s College of Agricul
tural and Environmental Sci
ences. “So much attention is
being paid to monarchs in
stead, and they seem to be in
pretty good shape overall. It
seems like a missed opportu
nity. We don’t want to give
the idea that insect conserva
tion isn’t important because it
is. It’s just that maybe this
one particular insect isn’t in
nearly as much trouble as we
thought.”
This study represents the
largest and most comprehen
sive assessment of breeding
monarch butterfly population
to date.
Summer breeding makes
up for winter monarch losses
The researchers compiled
more than 135,000 monarch
observations from the North
American Butterfly Associa
tion between 1993 and 2018
to examine population pat
terns and possible drivers of
population changes, such as
precipitation and widespread
use of agricultural herbicides.
The North American But
terfly Association utilizes cit
izen-scientists to document
butterfly species and counts
across North America during
a two-day period every sum
mer. Each group of observers
has a defined circle to patrol
that spans about 15 miles in
diameter, and the observers
tally all butterflies they see,
including monarchs.
By carefully examining
the monarch observations,
the team found an overall an
nual increase in monarch rel
ative abundance of 1.36% per
year, suggesting that the
breeding population of mon
archs in North America is not
declining on average. Al
though wintering populations
in Mexico have seen docu
mented declines in past
years, the findings suggest
that the butterflies’ summer
breeding in North America
makes up for those losses.
That marathon race to
Mexico or California each
fall, Davis said, may be get
ting more difficult for the
butterflies as they face traffic,
bad weather and more obsta
cles along the way south. So
fewer butterflies are reaching
the finish line.
“But when they come
back north in the spring, they
can really compensate for
those losses,” Davis said. “A
single female can lay 500
eggs, so they’re capable of
rebounding tremendously,
given the right resources.
What that means is that the
winter colony declines are al
most like a red herring.
They’re not really represen
tative of the entire species’
population, and they’re kind
of misleading. Even the re
cent increase in winter
colony sizes in Mexico isn’t
as important as some would
like to think.”
Changing monarch
migration patterns
One concern for conserva
tionists has been the sup
posed national decline in
milkweed, the sole food
source for monarch caterpil
lars. But Davis believes this
A monarch butterfly rests on a leaf in Nova Scotia,
Canada.
photos/Pat Davis
Monarch butterflies were widely considered to be in dire straits, but new research shows
a stable breeding population.
study suggests that breeding
monarchs already have all the
habitat they need in North
America. If they didn’t,
Davis said, the researchers
would have seen that in this
data.
“Everybody thinks
monarch habitat is being lost
left and right, and for some
insect species this might be
true but not for monarchs,”
Davis said. If you think about
it, monarch habitat is people
habitat. Monarchs are really
good at utilizing the land
scapes we’ve created for our
selves. Backyard gardens,
pastures, roadsides, ditches,
old fields—all of that is
monarch habitat.”
In some parts of the U.S.,
monarchs have a year-round
or nearly year-round pres
ence, which leads some re
searchers to believe the
insects may in part be mov
ing away from the annual mi
gration to Mexico. San
Francisco, for example, hosts
monarchs year-round be
cause people plant non-native
tropical milkweed. And
Florida is experiencing fewer
freezes each year, making its
climate an alternative for
monarchs that would nor
mally head across the border.
“There’s this idea out
there about an insect apoca
lypse—all the insects are
going to be lost,” said Sny
der. “But it’s just not that
simple. Some insects proba
bly are going to be harmed;
some insects are going to
benefit. You really have to
take that big pig picture at a
more continental scale over a
relatively long time period to
get the true picture of what’s
happening.”
The study was funded by
grants from the USDA Na
tional Institute of Food and
Agriculture.
The paper was co-au-
thored by Timothy Meehan,
of the National Audubon So
ciety; Matthew Moran, of
Flendrix College; and Jeffrey
Glassberg, of Rice University
and the North American But
terfly Association. Michael
Crossley, who worked on the
study as a postdoctoral re
searcher in the Department of
Entomology and is now at
the University of Delaware,
is first author of the paper.
r* L_51 n
Pickens County
Water & Sewer Authority
Annual Water Quality Report
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A copy of the 2021 Pickens County Water
Quality Report is now available online at
www.pickenscountyga.gov or you may call the
office706-253-871 8. We are located at 1266
East Church Street, Suite 11 7, Jasper, Ga
30143.
Like us on Facebook: Pickens County Water &
Sewer Authority.
Sign up for Code Red Alerts: pickenscountyga.gov
Registration for 2022-23 Preschool at JUMC Still Open
JUMC Preschool
JASPER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
By Suellen Reitz
It’s never to early to start
the education process of a
child. Some parents to be
even read to their unborn
child. For many children,
preschool is their first expe
rience in a structured setting
with teachers and groups of
children. It’s an opportunity
to learn to share, follow in
structions, and begin the
foundation for learning that
will occur in elementary
school. Going to a preschool
as early as age three does not
mean it takes away the free
dom of being a child... it
simply adds to it.
Traditionally, registration
for preschool begins in Janu
ary before the following
school year begins in August.
New parents unaware of the
early registration time may
miss the deadline and be
forced to wait another year
before entering their child
into the school program.
Jasper United Methodist
Church Preschool is the ex
ception to that deadline pe
riod this year and is currently
offering registration open
ings.
New Director of Chil
dren’s Ministries/Preschool
of JUMC, Kelly Wisniewski,
is very excited about taking
on the reigns as preschool di
rector this year. “Deborah
Goodrum retired this year
after 34 years of working
with our children in the pro
gram. My own kids attended
JUMC preschool 21 years
ago. I have big shoes to fill
and I’m honored to have
been given this opportunity.
It’s because of this transition
that our enrollment registra
tion was delayed. Next year,
we will register like other
preschools in January,” she
explained. That delay is a
good thing for children not
yet registered. “In most
cases, all preschool programs
in the area are already full,”
spoke Wisniewski. “We just
want to be there for as many
children as possible.”
With new leadership,
there are also a few changes
being put into place. Chil
dren ages 2-3 can now be en
rolled in either a three day or
5 day program. Hours are
8:00 a.m. - noon, but parents
have the option to drop off as
early as 7:30 a.m. The sec
ond big change includes on
line payment, registration
and online access to valuable
info for parents of enrolled
students.
Students of all ages will
be introduced to sign lan
guage, Spanish, music and
curriculum based on the
Georgia Department of Early
Care & Learning for PreK.
Every child in this Christ-
Centered environment will
experience spiritual, emo
tional, physical, social and
intellectual growth and de
velopment. Combine that
with loving teachers and fun
filled activities... preschool
will sure to become one of
your child’s favorite activi
ties.
Scholarships are currently
being set up in honor of the
outgoing director for finan
cial assistance. The JUMC
Preschool is non denomina
tion and open to all children.
School year will begin on
August 8. Please register on
line at www.jaspemmc.org or
pick up a registration packet
in the church office. For
more information, please call
the church office at 706 253-
2100.
Coffee & Doughnuts
with Pickens Democrats
Saturday, June 25,
drop by 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
(Also sign up for our email list,
pick up yard signs.)
Pickens Co. Community Center,
Room 2
1329 Camp Road, Jasper
Website: https://pickensdemocrats.org
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THE OLD
MULEHOUSE
GEORGIA DRINKS
The Old Mulehouse offers a
modern upscale twist to the
neighborhood tavern with a
creative chef-driven menu, a
full cocktail bar, our signature
mules, and features beer and
wine from Georgia.
(706) 253-3440
OLDMULEHOUSE.COM
2 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga 30143
Open at I I a.m.Wed-Sun
Closed Mon&Tues