Hipcamp and Xerces Society Launch Ambitious 2.6 Million Acre Monarch Conservation Program

Hipcamp’s Project Monarch aims to engage 10,000 North American Hipcamp Hosts to improve monarch habitat across 2.6 million acres of stewarded land.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Hipcamp and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation announced the launch of Project Monarch, an ambitious program designed to help save endangered monarch butterflies by engaging 10,000 North American Hipcamp Hosts to improve monarch habitat across 2.6 million acres of stewarded land.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed migrating monarchs as endangered in July of 2022.

“We have lost 99% of our Western monarchs during my lifetime,” said Hipcamp CEO Alyssa Ravasio. “These butterflies are foundational to our ecosystems. And at a time when we’re losing biodiversity at such an alarming rate, monarchs have become a symbol for what we have to lose and what we must save. We understand what is killing them, which makes the question starkly clear: do we care enough about monarchs’ continued existence on earth to organize ourselves and change our behavior? Hipcamp’s answer is a clear and resounding yes.”

Around the globe, Hipcamp Hosts steward more than 4 million acres of private land that spans hemispheres and countries, counties and municipalities.

“We mapped monarchs’ migratory paths over the lands of our North American Hosts and realized that Hipcamp is uniquely positioned to make a difference,” said Ravasio. “Helping save the monarchs is about something bigger; it’s about directing passion for a symbolic species toward efforts that reach beyond butterflies so that we can preserve the gift of our wild places, protect the biodiversity they hold, and ultimately contribute to a healthier future for everyone on our home planet.”

The monarchs’ problem

Pollinators are foundational to all our land-based ecosystems and are responsible for one out of every three bites of food Americans take. However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, numerous pollinator species native to North America - like the migrating monarchs - are experiencing significant and alarming declines.

According to the Xerces Society, the Western monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 95 percent and the Eastern monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 80 percent since the 1980s.

To blame? Climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, exposure to pesticides like Glyphosate, and disease.

“Monarchs are an essential pillar of North America’s ecosystems and a critical thread in the tapestry of life on Earth, but they're at risk like never before,” said Charles Post, consulting ecologist with Hipcamp. “Protecting monarchs is absolutely essential, and the good news is that monarch conservation can be done anywhere. Whether you tend a farm, an urban community garden, or a flower pot on your front porch, you can help create and maintain habitats that support monarchs. As an umbrella species, when monarchs are protected and thrive, so do countless other species who live alongside them, from birds to native bees and so much more. By saving monarchs we can help save entire ecosystems.”

About Project Monarch

Hipcamp’s Project Monarch engages the company’s North American community with ongoing education provided by the Xerces Society, as well as a Pollinator Pledge that Hipcamp Hosts, Hipcamper and members of the general public can take to help protect and steward invertebrates.

Hipcamp’s Pollinator Pledge is based on four simple pillars: grow region-specific milkweed; provide nest sites by keeping a messy garden; avoid pesticides like Glyphosate; spread the word.

“The sheer size of Hipcamp’s North American Host community translates to a massive opportunity to save the monarch migration,” said Matthew Shepherd, director of outreach and education at the Xerces Society. “At scale, widespread adoption of Hipcamp’s Pollinator Pledge has the unique ability to activate a large and diverse community to help save monarchs across North America. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Hipcamp in this important conservation effort.”

Sign the pledge

You can sign Hipcamp’s Pollinator Pledge here: https://bit.ly/3PGETjD

Images

Find additional images here: https://bit.ly/3A0WkGu

Social Media Links:

Hipcamp:	@hipcamp
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation:	@xercessociety

About Hipcamp

Founded in 2013, Hipcamp is the world’s largest provider of outdoor stays. It gives a growing community of good-natured people the opportunity to list, discover, and book unique outdoor experiences. The fully remote company operates in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and to date has helped people spend more than 6 million nights under the stars. When listing on Hipcamp, farmers, ranchers, vintners, and other landowners generate new revenue streams to conserve their land and keep it wild. By making it simple to get outside, Hipcamp protects habitat and supports a growing love for the land.

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation protects the natural world by conserving invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and advice and plays a leading role in protecting pollinators and many other invertebrates.