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Central Standard

Precariousness For Pollinators: Monarch Butterflies & Honeybees In Decline

Catherine L. Sherman and Monarch Watch

Insect ecologist Chip Taylor is a friend to both the monarch butterfly and the honeybee. He's been tracking monarchs and restoring their habitats since 1992. And he's worked with bees in French Guiana, Venezuela and Mexico.

In the first half of the program, Professor Taylor tells us about the monarch migration to Mexico every winter, helping us understand why it's one of nature's great spectacles and explaining why dwindling numbers of over-wintering monarchs has scientists concerned. So concerned, in fact, that they recently wrote a letter urging the White House to take action in reversing the trend.

In the second half of the show, he explains the role of honeybees in the food supply at large, and offers advice to amateur beekeepers. 

Guest:

  • Chip Taylor, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Kansas and founding director, Monarch Watch
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