Former New Canaan resident Gary Liska, a longtime expert on the Monarch butterfly, will speak at the New Canaan Men’s Club meeting on Friday, October 18, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at about 10:40am. Liska, who has studied Monarchs for over 40 years, will explore what makes this butterfly unique and explain why it is on the brink of being declared an endangered species.
The Monarch butterfly is renowned for its extraordinary migration, traveling thousands of miles from Connecticut to Mexico. Unlike other insects, Monarchs use a complex system of environmental cues to navigate, including the sun’s position and Earth’s magnetic field. Liska, who holds a degree in Health Sciences, is currently involved in three university studies focused on the health challenges facing Monarchs, particularly the diseases and environmental pressures that are pushing them toward endangered status.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the migratory Monarch butterfly on its Red List of endangered species in 2022, primarily due to habitat loss and the decline of milkweed, the plant Monarchs depend on for survival. According to Scientific American, the population of eastern Monarchs has fallen by more than 80% over the past two decades due to climate change, pesticide use, and deforestation in their Mexican wintering grounds.
Alongside his scientific endeavors, Liska is the founder of Monarch Butterfly Food and Fuel Gardens Co., a business in Pennsylvania that focuses on creating environments to support the butterfly’s lifecycle. His work emphasizes planting milkweed and nectar-rich flowers to help the Monarch population thrive. Liska lived in New Canaan for 22 years.
The Men’s Club meeting, which starts at 10:00 a.m., is open to new members. Anyone interested in joining can contact the club via email at ncmens@ncmens.info
