MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — Efforts begin to make the monarch butterfly Wisconsin’s official state butterfly.
The proposal was introduced by Republican legislators Monday at Appleton’s Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin. The owner of the gardens, Jack Voight, says the initiative is vital to maintaining the species in the state.
“The passage of this bill will create more public awareness for the need to increase the monarch population.”
Monarch colonies traditionally migrate to Wisconsin each summer. In 2022, the monarch butterfly was categorized as an “endangered” species, two steps away from extinction.