Kasey Rhodes, a 12-year-old Yantis resident, met with the Quitman Rotary club on Sept. 20 to present her educational journey about the monarch butterfly and Yantis Prairie Day.

She told attendees the number of monarchs completing the trip has declined by 90 percent from its peak.

“Monarchs once thrived in areas that were once dominated by prairie. Today the tall grass prairie has been reduced to one percent of its original area,” Rhodes said. “This makes it one of the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the world.”

Yantis Prairie Day, Sept. 29, is a way to take action and help the monarchs and other prairie animals. The event will teach area landowners how to create prairie and pollinator-friendly habitats. The event will be at Yantis Elementary School from 2 to 5 p.m.

Speakers for the event will include Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and local landowners. Topics discussed at educational booths will include pollinators, honey samples, pollinator-friendly gardening, edible plants, monarch butterflies, free face painting and other activities.

Monarchs fly 1,500 to 3,000 kilometers to the Sierra Madre Mountains in central Mexico during their winter migration to an area known as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Area Reserve.

Rhodes became interested in the monarch after attending a tagging event at the Texas State Fair. She then decided to find some eggs on milkweed plants on her family pasture and watched the metamorphosis process take place in a tank.

Rhodes asked her mom if they could go to Mexico to see the monarchs in their winter habitat, which resulted in a family and friends trip in February.

She became more inspired to help and asked for help from the city of Yantis.

“I then asked the mayor of Yantis to sign the monarch pledge, thereby committing our town to help in efforts to save the monarch and its habitat. What I have come to realize is that many people do not know where to start to help the monarchs, “she said.

This agreement included that there should be an action item to help the monarchs or their habitats. Rhodes chose Yantis Prairie Day to fill the requirement.

“I’ve been raised to believe that we can be the change we wish to see in the world. Everyone can do something even if it is a little thing,” she said.

Julie Mattox donated five acres of land for growing the prairie environment. Monarchs are not the only species at risk. Quails, turkeys, Eastern meadowlark or songbirds are also harmed by loss of prairie.

“The key is diversification of land use,” Rhodes said. “We believe farmers can still earn a living through rotational grazing and mimicking the patterns of the buffalo, incorporating restrictive burns and leaving areas for pollinator plants and native grasses to thrive.”

She added that the milkweed plant is vital to the survival of the monarch.

Rhodes pointed out the dangers monarchs are facing in the wild and while migrating.

“Deaths for the monarch butterfly include loss of habitat in the U.S., lack of milkweed, lack of nectar plant through land removal and loss of habitat in Mexico,” she said. “However, there is something we can do. First, we need to make sure to place nectar surfaces for monarchs and other pollinators. These areas of nectar plants need to be far away from areas with pesticide. Many pastures are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which harm the host plant, milkweeds. These sprays are meant to kill noxious weeds.”