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Minnesota woman turns backyard into monarch butterfly sanctuary
Carrie Scarfino raises monarchs in an outdoor enclosure and says western populations have declined 99% since the 1990s, according to the Xerces Society.
- In Baxter, Minnesota, Carrie Scarfino runs a backyard sanctuary raising monarch butterflies, with eight caterpillars in chrysalis and 10 in the J-formation precursor stage as of June 19, 2026.
- Scarfino launched the yearly venture in 2021 after discovering milkweed in her garden, deciding to show her three children the butterfly life cycle after finding her first monarch egg.
- Between the 1990s and 2025, western monarch populations declined 99% and eastern monarchs fell 80% according to the Xerces Society for Intevertebrate Conservation, prompting Scarfino's conservation research.
- The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a "threatened" categorization for monarch butterflies, which would provide federal protection and financial assistance, though the decision remains delayed.
- Scarfino intends to continue the process as long as it brings her family joy, viewing her work as a simple contribution to the earth, and anticipates her caterpillars will emerge in two weeks.
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Duluth News Tribune+11 Reposted by 11 other sources
Minnesota woman turns backyard into monarch butterfly sanctuary
BAXTER, Minn. — What started as a practical childhood science experiment birthed from classic grade school curricula, colorful life-cycle diagrams and the curiosity of Carrie Scarfino’s three children has turned into a yearly venture for the Baxter, Minnesota, mom. “I started doing more research, and I realized how the monarch butterfly population has decreased significantly over the years,” Scarfino said. “I was like, OK, what can I do to help?…
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right7Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Right
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources lean Right
78% Right
C 22%
R 78%
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