(10:15) Santa Cruz – The Monarch Butterfly population has been on the decline and environmentalists believe milkweed may be a contributing factor. At the Welcome Back Monarchs Day festival, which was held at Natural Bridges State Beach on Sunday, volunteers sold milkweed to attendees who lived inland. Milkweed is a crucial food source for Monarch Butterflies; currently the central coast has enough to sustain the Butterflies through the winter which prevents the butterflies from migrating. If the butterflies do not migrate they become susceptible to parasites and predators. In 1997 120,000 Monarch butterflies wintered in Santa Cruz and by 2009 the population dropped to 1,300. In an effort to increase the population people inland are encouraged to grow milkweed.
