Several groups across Iowa are working together to address the declining population of monarch butterflies.
Iowa State University entomology professor Sue Blodgett says there are several reasons why the orange and black winged insect has become a less common sight, including deforestation in Mexico where monarchs spend the winter.

Monarch caterpillars depend on milkweed plants, so Blodgett is investigating the best way to place more of those plants around Iowa.

ISU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is part of a new Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, which includes the state’s agriculture and natural resources departments as well as several commodity and conservation groups.