Plight of the Monarchs by Bonnie Kuhr. All Rights Reserved. Leaves of the Dracaena Cinnabari plant, natural seed pods from the Proboscidea plant. Kinetic Fiber Sculpture symbolizes the Monarch butterflies clustering together to stay warm.

Monarchs have a twofold risk of becoming extinct. It is well known that the Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Once hatched they only eat milkweed plants to survive. With the encroachment of humans on the lands where milkweeds grow the population of the Monarchs is in danger. The second devastating cause is global warming. One effect of global warming on the Monarchs is cold weather precipitation. So when rain follows a cold front the butterfly’s mortality rate soars. Made entirely of natural fibers; the butterfly wings come from the Dracaena plant, the body & antennae are from the Proboscidea plant. Lateral plaiting makes this wonderful spiral that symbolizes the monarchs hanging from a tree branch clustering to stay warm. This piece is kinetic allowing the Monarchs to turn in the breeze. Below are two milkweed branches placed as a cross to symbolize the disappearance of the food that larva need to survive. This sculpture is my contribution to raise awareness.