Monarch Butterflies
Butterflies and other pollinators rely on balanced, biodiverse ecosystems to thrive. Eastern migratory Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted by 90% since the 1990s, primarily due to habitat loss across both their southern overwintering sites and northern summer ranges. In Mexico, illegal logging in the Oyamel fir forests has drastically reduced vital overwintering habitat, while urban expansion and high-intensity agriculture have diminished milkweed—the host plant for Monarch caterpillars—throughout their breeding grounds.
To address these challenges, the Toledo Zoo’s Wild Toledo program employs a two-pronged conservation strategy. Our efforts to combat habitat loss include maintaining a native plant nursery on Zoo grounds and installing prairie and native landscapes throughout the region. These urban green spaces empower residents, schools and businesses to support native biodiversity in their own communities. To date, Wild Toledo has planted over 110 prairies and 50 native landscapes.
To help reverse population decline, our conservation biologists collect Monarch eggs from milkweed grown at the Zoo and rear the larvae in Wild Toledo’s climate-controlled nursery. Once mature, the butterflies reproduce, and their offspring are tagged and released into the wild. Each Monarch receives a unique Monarch Watch tag to support migration tracking and long-term research. Since 2014, Wild Toledo has successfully reared and released nearly 10,000 Monarch butterflies.
Field Research
The Toledo Zoo conducts ongoing research in our Wild Toledo prairies to assess local biodiversity and evaluate habitat health. From spring through fall, our team collects insect samples to monitor species diversity and abundance in these restored ecosystems. These findings provide vital insights into the ecological sustainability and resilience of prairie habitats post-establishment.
In partnership with the Toledo Area Sanitary District (TASD), we also study the impact of mosquito control efforts on urban prairies. When mosquito spraying is scheduled near a Wild Toledo prairie, TASD alerts our biologists, allowing us to collect data both before and after treatment. Results show that while spraying causes a short-term decline in insect activity during the first two days, biodiversity typically rebounds by day three. These findings underscore the value of even small urban prairies as resilient, biodiverse spaces that support a wide array of native insect life.
Get Involved
Native habitats play a vital role in conserving local insects. Visit our Wild Toledo page to learn more about our native plant sales, prairie installations and native landscaping projects.
