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Monarch Challenge Question #3

Lynne Lanning (llanning@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu)
Sun, 22 Feb 1998 12:34:08 -0600

This is an answer from Jenna Smith, 12, Lincoln Elementary School.

People in Mexico,that live near the Monarch are desperate for money. Now
that California irresponsibly has cut down almost all the Monarch's
overwintering habitat, Mexico has the only overwintering habitat for the
butterflies. It is economically hard for the Mexicans to take full
responsbility for the Monarchs.

I think that California and Mexico are both responsible for what happens to
the Monarchs. California should bear responsibility for replanting a
portion of the overwintering habitat they destroyed in California. As the
trees are growing there, they should also have a financial responsiblity
for helping reforest the Monarch habitat in Mexico. Maybe there could be a
joint program sponsored by Canada, US, Mexico, to introduce other means of
earning money for the families that now log the area. Maybe help them
improve their crop plantings so that they aren't so undependable. Maybe
there could be a high penalty imposed on the companies that buy the lumber;
or increase the cost of that lumber so that many trees don't need to be cut
down.

Is it possible to create an artificial habitat? Something that would take
the place of the real trees, but in the same area.