Photo by The Virginia Zoo

The Virginia Zoo@virginiazoo

The Virginia Zoo Is committed to engaging our community in taking action to save the world’s wildlife and their ecosystems, including the native species in our own backyard, like monarch butterflies! 🦋 Did you know North American monarch butterfly populations east of the Rocky Mountains have declined by more than 90% in the last 30 years? YOU can support monarch butterflies by: 🚶 Attending the Virginia Zoo’s Monarch Mile event on Sunday, September 20 from 8 - 9:30am where 100% of proceeds are donated to monarch butterfly conservation. Visit the link in our bio to register today! 🌸 Planting native varieties of milkweed (genus Asclepius) in your garden. 🔎 Participating in community science initiatives to monitor caterpillars and adult monarch butterflies, like Caterpillars Count or the Monarch Larva Monitoring Program. 🧡 Visiting the Virginia Zoo during general admission hours! In 2025, we donated $16,500 to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) North American Monarchs Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program. Our donations helped establish a grant program encouraging habitat restoration for monarchs.