We are a movement of youth across North America dedicated to saving the monarchs.
Our mission is to save the monarchs from extinction, one habitat at a time.
We encourage young people to plant microhabitats for monarchs where they can lay their eggs on milkweed, complete metamorphosis, and feast on the flower nectar they need as they migrate between the east coast of the United States and Canada and their overwintering sites in Mexico or as they migrate from the northwest coast to California.
Noah in spring 2025, beginning work at our second monarch habitat in Philadelphia
The story of Monarch Defenders founder, Noah Raven
I am 16 years old and live in Philadelphia. Four years ago, I traveled with my family to the oyamel fir forests of central Mexico, where monarch butterflies from all over the eastern United States and Canada roost during the winter. The site is up a steep mountain path, which we reached by riding horses. Butterflies hung in huge clumps on the trees and flew all around us as we stared in amazement.
But these spectacular creatures are at risk. Eastern monarch butterfly populations have declined by more than 80% and western populations (monarchs that travel to California instead of Mexico) have declined by more than 90% due to pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change. Future generations need to be able to experience the awe of millions of butterflies waking from their hibernation and filling the air with streaks of orange.
So I started the Monarch Defenders, a group of youth across North America dedicated to protecting the butterflies. (Our website was launched in 2022). To become a Monarch Defender, you create a small habitat of milkweed and pollinator plants for the monarchs. We track all these new habitats on our interactive map. Recently I have become more invested in creating habitats locally in Philadelphia, as I have started a chapter group, MD Philly. Monarch Defenders Philly has planted four monarch microhabitats in Northwest Philly and is quickly growing with volunteers. We work in partnership with several local organizations, including Friends of Wissahickon, Philadelphia Horticultural Society, and Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability to create local microhabitats and waystations for the monarchs and other pollinators throughout the city and beyond.
Together we can protect the monarchs and save them, one habitat at a time. Please join us! If you live in the Philly area, you can volunteer with us on our Philly chapter website: go to monarchdefenders.org/volunteer.
To read more about Noah’s story, check out this article in the Chestnut Hill Local newspaper and his more recent essay about the sucess of one of the local habitats in Philadelphia.