The beautiful orange and black Monarch butterfly used to rule the roost in our area.  Lately though, naturalists say it's been on the verge of extinction in southeastern Wisconsin. 

There was a time you would see many of them around here, especially on UWM's Innovation Campus on the county grounds.  This is the general area where the Eschweiler buildings used to stand.

I'm told this has always been the perfect habitat for the Monarchs because of all the nearby waterways. But construction and development over the last two decades caused the butterflies to virtually disappear.

Now there's a team effort between the University of Wisconsin, Department of Transportation, The Friends of the Monarch Trail, and even the scouts to bring the butterflies back through replanting of trees and milkweed.  And this Sunday, July 12, from noon to 3pm, the public is invited to help plant even more trees.