Nannup, a town of 700 people in Australia’s South West region, has suddenly become a haven for bird lovers. Today, it greets one of nature’s most inspiring spectacles, an incredible annual monarch butterfly migration. Residents and visitors alike have been enchanted by these colorful critters flitting across the landscape. This pageantry is perhaps most on display during the city’s annual flower and garden festival, which lures tens of thousands of tourists. For the last two months, Nannup has hummed with the wings of these butterflies. They’ve dazzled, confounded, and amazed the internet’s denizens on Twitter and TikTok.
The first arrival of monarch butterflies is evidence of the nonindigenous species takeover. Amongst these are the invasive narrow leaf cotton bush and milkweed weed. These plants flourish in nearby industrial pine plantations and downriver berms. They provide the optimal habitat for butterflies to reproduce and make their eggs. Even though their presence is a concern, experts say these invasive weeds actually help that butterfly population thrive.
A Beautiful Sight
Kids and grown-ups have been equally fascinated by the sheer volume of butterflies blanketing the area. Emma Brown, who traveled with her family to Nannup for the festival, described her experience, saying, “At the start of the street, there was a whole tree full of them … at first we saw one and then we saw 100 of them.” She continued, “I mean, it’s gorgeous, it’s just – it’s like spring has sprung here in Nannup.”
Residents have constantly expressed how overjoyed they are by the butterflies. Many are sharing pictures on social media, contributing to the increased popularity of Nannup as a tourism destination. Our colleague Maggie Longmore weighed in to the discussion about the awesome aspect of these butterflies. She was very excited, saying, “The butterflies are so pretty! Maybe we can come to some compromise with having some weeds and allowing them to thrive.”
The Role of Invasive Weeds
Specialists like Colin Barlow argue that narrow leaf cotton bush and milkweed are essential. These plants provide the sole food source for the butterflies’ larvae and are necessary for successful reproduction. He explained, “They can’t lay their eggs on a lot of the native bushes; they can use the pollen … but they can’t actually reproduce the caterpillars without the milkweed and the cotton bush.”
Faye Arcaro echoed Barlow’s sentiments, stating, “A lot of the weedy plants grow on the banks and so the butterflies come in, lay their eggs on the milkweeds, the caterpillars eat the plants, turn into a cocoon and then hatch out as butterflies.” These weedy resources play a key role in providing what monarchs need, but their invasive behavior makes them fierce competitors that can overwhelm local ecosystems.
Economic Impact
The first appearance of migrating monarch butterflies has amazed local reporters and citizens alike. This wave of enthusiasm has propelled tourism in Nannup to new heights. Longmore pointed out the economic benefit of spending on the project, telling ABC News, “It’s excellent for tourism in Nannup.” She encouraged attendees to see the magic for themselves. The butterflies aren’t lost yet either,” she said. So get yourselves down to Nannup and see our butterflies, tulips and buzzing bees (apart from the tulips, all of that is completely natural!)
Government Collin Barlow recognized this duality well. He observed, “It creates an incredible impression here but it has to be controlled.” This sentiment echoes long-held discussions about how to maintain ecological integrity while acknowledging the splendor of nature.
