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We started our project because we were concerned about the declining number of western monarch butterflies. The mayor of our city made a statement about the western monarch butterflies and this showed that it wasn't just us who wanted the western monarchs back. Also, only one western monarch was photographed in Marion county this year. We decided to create a project to help bring back the monarchs.

 

We know that western monarchs need milkweed and flowering plants to survive. They lay their eggs on the milkweed plants and the larvae hatch on the plant and eat its leaves. Adult butterflies drink nectar from flowering plants as a food source. There is not much milkweed and flowers widespread throughout Oregon in big cities. Many people spray and kill milkweed because they think of it as an annoying eye sore. This leaves little habitat left for these beautiful creatures. 

 

To make a change, we have created many parts to a project that we hope will bring back the western monarch butterflies. For part of our project, we 3D printed a model of a drone attachment that will drop milkweed and flower seeds at certain locations to create small pit stops for the butterflies to rest, eat, and lay eggs during their long journey. We also created a website, along with a video, to explain our project and raise awareness about Monarchs. In addition, we planted a butterfly garden in Kroger park and at our school. We also had a booth at the local Agriculture Festival, held at the Oregon State Fairgounds in April 2023, to help other people realize what danger the beautiful western monarch butterflies are in. 

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Our goal for this project is to bring the monarchs back and raise awareness about animals that are rare or going extinct. We chose this particular butterfly because it is very recognizable and popular. There has also been much research on this butterfly. As we worked on this project, we combined ideas and worked together to create the best possible project. We worked with organizations such as Roots and Shoots and the City of Salem to get money and places in which to plant for these monarchs.

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We used teamwork and inspiration to create this project while learning to protect and preserve nature. We learned to save nature for future generations to enjoy and respect. On the whole, our project was created to help the monarchs and to inspire others to protect nature. Our science coach encouraged us to join the Paradigm Challenge because we like working with the natural world. We hope our project will succeed in bringing back the monarch butterflies.