Monarch Butterflies have lost a Champion

If you’re into native plants and the insects that co-exist with them, you’ve probably heard the name Lincoln Brower. Lincoln was a world renowned Monarch biologist and a conservation leader. He passed away on July 17, 2018. The Monarch butterflies have lost a champion.

Although entomologist Fred A Urquhart is credited with making the location of the Monarch butterflies over-wintering grounds known to us in 1975, it was Dr Brower who brought preservation of the site to our attention.

Monarch Watch’s Chip Taylor wrote, “It was through his advocacy and work with the Mexican government that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) was established to protect the overwintering monarch population in Mexico. Linc was among the first to recognize that the weakest portion of the monarch’s annual cycle is the formation of the overwintering colonies within the oyamel forests on a few mountain tops in a relatively small region of central Mexico. He saw that protection of these sites was key to the preservation of the monarch migration and he worked tirelessly to safeguard these locations, sometimes earning the wrath of authorities and some colleagues.” (Monarch Watch Blog – Dr. Lincoln Brower)

Indeed, Lincoln felt we should value the Monarch migration in the same way we value the Mona Lisa. It is part of our history; part of our culture. There are Monarch butterflies elsewhere in North America and in other locations such as the Caribbean islands, Trinidad, Bermuda and South America. But the incredible migration from south to north and back again is only seen here in North America. That’s why it is so terribly important we do everything we can to preserve this biological phenomenon.

Lincoln P. Brower Award

To carry on Dr Brower’s legacy and to continue to strengthen monarch conservation research, the Monarch Butterfly Fund has established the Lincoln P. Brower Award. This will be an annual grant of $3,000 to support undergraduate or graduate students in research on the conservation of monarch butterflies and their habitats. To donate.

HuffPost – 4o Years Ago the World ‘Discovered’ Mexico’s Monarch Habitat — Today Its Survival Is at Stake

Monarch Watch Blog – Dr. Lincoln Brower

Monarch Joint Venture Blog – Remembering Lincoln Brower, a world renowned monarch conservation leader

NY Times – Lincoln Brower, Champion of the Monarch butterfly, Dies at 86

Washington Post – Lincoln P. Brower, scientist and protector of the monarch butterfly, dies at 86

LA Times – Lincoln Brower, expert and advocate for iconic monarch butterfly, dies at 86