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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Hi everyone,</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The results from this season's Xerces’ Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count are out! Sadly, fewer than 30,000 monarchs were counted—<a href="https://www.westernmonarchcount.org/data/" target="_blank">29,418 to be exact</a>—for the second year in a row, so the western monarch population remains at a critical level. You can read more in our <a href="https://xerces.org/press/western-monarch-butterfly-population-still-at-critical-level" target="_blank">press release</a> and a <a href="https://xerces.org/blog/western-monarchs-need-our-help-more-than-ever" target="_blank">blog article</a> about the population count for this winter (if those links don’t work, there are URLs below). </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Thank you to our incredible regional coordinators and volunteers who make the Thanksgiving count possible! </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The questions we are asked are “why?” and “what can I do?”</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Why are there so few monarchs? </i></p><p class="MsoNormal">For decades, monarchs in the West have been in decline because of loss of habitat, including destruction of their California overwintering sites and loss of both milkweed for caterpillars and flowering resources to fuel migration. They are also impacted by climate change and pesticide use.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>What can we do?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Protect and manage overwintering sites; grow nectar plants and, if you’re in the right places, native milkweed; don’t use pesticides. You can read more about what you can do at <a href="https://xerces.org/western-monarch-call-to-action" target="_blank">savewesternmonarchs.org</a>. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Read our <b>press release</b> about the results here: <a href="https://xerces.org/press/western-monarch-butterfly-population-still-at-critical-level" target="_blank">https://xerces.org/press/western-monarch-butterfly-population-still-at-critical-level</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Read more about this year’s count in our <b>blog</b> here: <a href="https://xerces.org/blog/western-monarchs-need-our-help-more-than-ever" target="_blank">https://xerces.org/blog/western-monarchs-need-our-help-more-than-ever</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The <b>site-by-site count data</b> is available at <a href="https://www.westernmonarchcount.org/data/" target="_blank">https://www.westernmonarchcount.org/data/</a>. This covers all years since the first count in 1997, with the data from this winter in the last right hand column.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Some of you may have already seen this news in the media, since it was picked up by AP and other outlets. Here are a few samples of media today: </p><p class="MsoNormal">Guardian, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/22/monarch-butterfly-population-decline-california-coast">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/22/monarch-butterfly-population-decline-california-coast</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hindustan Times (India), <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/california-s-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-second-year-in-a-row/story-jqeRdByyC3Yg1KdAZmAR4M.html">https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/california-s-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-second-year-in-a-row/story-jqeRdByyC3Yg1KdAZmAR4M.html</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Daily Sun (Bangladesh), <a href="https://www.daily-sun.com/post/456447/Californias-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-2nd-year">https://www.daily-sun.com/post/456447/Californias-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-2nd-year</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Japan Times (Japan), <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/23/world/science-health-world/monarch-butterflies-california/">https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/23/world/science-health-world/monarch-butterflies-california/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Seattle Times, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/californias-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-2nd-year/">https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/californias-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-for-2nd-year/</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Houston Chronicle, <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/California-s-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-14996745.php">https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/California-s-monarch-butterflies-critically-low-14996745.php</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Matthew</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">----------</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Matthew Shepherd</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Director of Communications & Outreach</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt">he/him/his</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><img border="0" width="160" height="60" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D5D1C2.45D671C0" alt="Email-Outlook_Xerces-logo-CMYK"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Protecting the Life That Sustains Us</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Connect with us @xercessociety on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/xercessociety/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Facebook</span></a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/xercessociety" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Twitter</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xercessociety/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Instagram</span></a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Visit <a href="http://www.xerces.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">www.xerces.org</span></a> to read our <a href="http://www.xerces.org/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">blog</span></a>, sign up for our <a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001HTk7N6nZumLPinBr8VACbNdTXCe732bGu6KpqC13JAKPti_HBe5xyr7t0p4mDfKe2dOsd-TB1qvv772s6GQfVa_SbKKfwBiwl4blH4KvCjq4dpmA2M9UNZ2axlQwu_1Gvjrl2Rb53WUZwsddwCzyorgxedLAaMy3" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">e-newsletter</span></a>, and find out how you can protect invertebrates.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Watch us on </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1f497d"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiPLPJuySOgn6CbjkOxqLQ"><span style="color:blue">YouTube</span></a>.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Support our work: <a href="https://xerces.org/donate/"><span style="color:blue">Donate</span></a>!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">628 NE Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232, USA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Office: (503) 232-6639 x110</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Cell: (503) 807-1577</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><a href="mailto:matthew.shepherd@xerces.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">matthew.shepherd@xerces.org</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></body></html>