A 2026 report from the Center for Biological Diversity confirms what a lot of us have noticed on the Suncoast: migratory eastern monarchs are still vulnerable to extinction. Every fall, these butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the northern U.S. to central Mexico, one of the longest migrations of any insect on Earth. The journey is remarkable, but the numbers keep shrinking.
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Diedre Richardson decided to do something about it. Since 2014, she has turned her backyard into a sanctuary, raising monarchs, black swallowtails, and fritillaries from caterpillar to butterfly. Friends nicknamed her the Butterfly Whisperer, and she describes her setup as “like a conveyor belt” of emerging butterflies. Monarchs are her favorite. She grows milkweed, the only plant monarch caterpillars eat, and watches the ten-to-fourteen-day chrysalis transformation up close. Now she shares tips on Facebook and Instagram so anyone else can start.
Her story connects directly to our corner of Florida. The wetlands and mangrove edges that protect our neighborhoods from flooding are also habitat for pollinators passing through on migration. Planting native milkweed and protecting those natural buffers do double duty: a safer coastline and a lifeline for butterflies. What’s one pollinator-friendly plant you could add to your yard this season?
