ADOT celebrates achievements in monarch butterfly conservation

We’re all aflutter celebrating Pollinator Week, June 16-22. 

And we’ve got a lot to cheer about! The University of Illinois at Chicago recently recognized the Arizona Department of Transportation Environmental Planning Group for monarch conservation achievements in 2024 and a continued commitment to monarch butterfly conservation in Arizona.  

“This work contributes to ADOT’s mission to provide highway infrastructure and transportation services,” said ADOT Biologist Alexa Lopezlira. “Pollinator Week raises awareness of the importance of planting new habitat for pollinators, a practice that gets rid of unwanted and invasive plants along roadsides.”

Encouraging growth of native plants contributes to food sources for desert pollinators and helps ensure future populations of monarchs thrive as they migrate through Arizona.

Lopezlira manages the ADOT partnership agreement and shares more information and fun facts about pollinators in previous blogs and a podcast linked here:

PODCAST: How ADOT is helping monarch butterflies thrive

ttps://azdot.gov/adot-blog/podcast-how-adot-helping-monarch-butterflies-thrive

ADOT Kids: Arizona welcomes monarch butterflies

https://azdot.gov/adot-blog/adot-kids-arizona-welcomes-monarch-butterflies

Pit stops for pollinators bring native plants to Arizona highways

https://azdot.gov/adot-blog/pit-stops-pollinators-bring-native-plants-arizona-highways

“Monitoring is ongoing,” Lopezlira said. “I’m actually making a trip up to the Grand Canyon Airport to evaluate suitable habitat there and along State Route 64. I will also be monitoring other areas in the Northcentral and Northwest districts this summer as monarchs start to make their journey north.”

Please visit The Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Lands with an integrated Candidate Conservation Agreement to learn more about monarch butterfly conservation.