Monarch Butterfly Support Program Embraced In Point Pleasant Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Point Pleasant Beach has joined a national effort to help support the monarch butterfly population, becoming a member of Monarch City USA.

Monarch City USA announced the borough's addition to the program, which encourages towns across the country to support monarch butterflies by planting monarch milkweed and nectar plants, according to its website.

Point Pleasant Beach is the third New Jersey town to join; Montclair and Monmouth Beach are the others.

The organization says nearly a billion monarch butterflies have vanished since 1990, according to data released in 2015 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Monarchs rely on milkweed plants and nectar plants, and Monarch City's goal is to encourage both to be planted in towns to encourage the butterflies and help them rebuild their population.

"If the municipalities do this the monarchs will have stepping stones as stopovers on their journeys," the organization says.

Monarch City USA works with local clubs and nurseries to help establish pollinator gardens, and the Point Pleasant Garden Club is anticipated to be part of that guiding effort.

The organization encourages an annual Monarch Festival in member towns and provides guidance and information on finding the proper milkweed and nectar plants for different areas of the country.

"Love the volunteering. Volunteers make our communities better," the Monarch City USA announcement on Facebook said.