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BOONE, Iowa — As we prepare for the colder months, so are monarch butterflies. The great monarch migration is underway as the species makes its way to Mexico.

The journey doesn’t come without challenges. Over the years, the monarch population has decreased. This past winter the Iowa Department of Natural Resources even had the second lowest count on record.

“We have a lot of opportunities to help monarchs. Some of the things that are affecting their populations are things we can’t control, like weather. But the key is providing them habitat. People in cities and towns and even city governments can help by increasing like looking at city ordinances, make sure making sure milkweed is not a plant that is, you know, not allowed in city limits. Milkweeds are the only nectar source, are only food for the monarch caterpillar,” said Stephanie Shephard, a wildlife diversity biologist for the Iowa DNR’s non-game wildlife program.

The Iowa DNR encourages people to get involved in the migration cycle by reporting sightings of monarchs to organizations like Journey North or by monarch tagging in the fall. You can buy a complete kit with tags for $15 from Monarch Watch.

You can also support the annual migration by buying native plants. The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium has a list of plants that are good for monarchs listed on their website.