NWF News: Help for Horseshoe Crabs & Mayors Love Monarchs
NWF affiliates come together for horseshoe crabs; Mayors鈥� Monarch Pledge turns 10; a new horizon in Oklahoma
- By Delaney McPherson
- NWF News
- Jun 25, 2025
A New Horizon in Oklahoma
In January the (CCO), a National Wildlife Federation affiliate, welcomed its inaugural executive director, (below), the organization’s first full-time employee in its 13-year history. Wright’s hiring, made possible by grant funding, allows CCO to strengthen its legislative presence and broaden its conservation programs.
“Matt was on the board for several years. He did a lot of heavy lifting and put in a lot of time,” says Kim Winton, CCO board chair. “This commitment is different. This is really his passion.”
CCO historically has been a volunteer-run organization focused on legislative issues such as clean water (Oklahoma’s Natural Falls State Park, top) and woody encroachment, where trees and shrubs outcompete crucial herbaceous plants in an ecosystem. CCO’s agenda will continue to be set by a board made up of representatives from its 10 member organizations and a handful of other groups that help establish priorities, stressing science-based, bipartisan solutions.
Under Wright’s leadership, CCO launched a newsletter, “Scissor Tales,” in January to keep members updated on events and legislative and conservation news. And in April it held the first in a planned series of events called “Got Water?,” featuring a panel discussion on the future of water conservation in Oklahoma, a talk by the state attorney general and an auction.
“We’re on an upwards trajectory with developing programs and trying to be more impactful legislatively,” Wright says. “People need to be more aware and more engaged, and that happens through education.”
Convening for Crabs
A keystone species, horseshoe crabs (above) play a critical role in their environments. But overharvesting for bait and biomedical purposes has put those ecosystems at risk. In response, the nonprofit and NWF affiliate formed the (HCRC) in 2019, with other NWF affiliates including the , and joining shortly afterward.
“[Horseshoe crabs are] integral to so many different birds and the whole cycle of the ecosystem,” says Marcus Sibley, NWF representative to HCRC. “We want to keep educating people, educating legislators, calling for moratoriums and preserving this species.”
Overharvesting has led to a decline of more than 90 percent in horseshoe crab egg abundance since the 1990s, a devastating outcome for migratory shorebirds, including the threatened , that depend on the eggs for sustenance on their journeys. Horseshoe crabs are captured in large numbers for use as bait in commercial fishing, as well as for their blood (pictured), which contains the protein Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL). Biomedical companies use LAL to test their products for bacterial contamination. Together, the two industries harvest around 2 million crabs per year in the United States, contributing to smaller breeding populations.
But recent months have brought major conservation gains, including a by the to extend a 2022 restriction on harvesting female horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay, a decision supported by HCRC. And last summer, U.S. Pharmacopeia adopted guidance recommending a synthetic alternative to LAL—a huge win for the species.
“To benefit people, species and habitat at scale, we must stand together,” says , president and CEO of New Jersey Audubon. “This is a powerful and thriving coalition, speaking with one voice, to protect a keystone species that is critical to the long-term survival of migratory shorebirds.”
From our Donors | Brenda Kane of Weare, New Hampshire
“From the time I can remember, I’ve had a soft spot for all things animals. Wildlife does not have a voice, so we have to find it in ourselves to speak out and protect them.”
Interested in learning more about the impact you can have on wildlife? Please visit .
Mayors Love Monarchs
This year, NWF’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Started in 2015, the program encourages U.S. mayors to commit to monarch butterfly (below) conservation and to turn their communities into pollinator havens.
“Everybody wants to help when they see populations declining,” says , senior director of community wildlife at NWF. “These are specific actions proven to help educate the public. The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge helps illustrate that anyone, anywhere, can help by planting milkweed and [creating] habitat.”
Across the nation, monarch butterfly populations are in decline. In the past few decades, western monarchs have decreased by 94 percent, and eastern monarchs have declined by 84 percent due to climate change, pesticide use and loss of habitat including the butterfly’s only host plant: milkweed. When mayors sign the pledge, they commit to carrying out at least three actions to benefit pollinators, such as changing mowing ordinances to protect native plants, planting milkweed on municipal property and creating community art to promote conservation. Communities that complete 24 or more actions are granted Monarch Champion status.
San Antonio was the first city to achieve Monarch Champion status in 2015 and has maintained this designation every year since. In addition to installing native plant gardens along the city’s and creating over 22,000 square feet of pollinator habitat in schools (top) through the companion Monarch Heroes program, the city also holds an annual monarch festival in October with milkweed giveaways, tutorials on gardening and more.
“Improving habitat for monarchs and protecting the green spaces that monarchs need along their migratory path has so many other benefits that go beyond monarch butterflies,” says former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “It creates a healthier community … it is better for air quality, and it helps protect vital resources like our underground water supplies.”
To date, more than 2,300 heads of local government have taken the pledge; millions of people have been engaged; and more than 11,500 acres of land have been conserved for monarch butterflies.
Bulletin: Great 皇冠体育app官网平台n Campout
This year, Great 皇冠体育app官网平台n Campout is marking two decades of love and passion for the outdoors. Celebrate the anniversary, learn camping basics and explore fun activities here.
More from National Wildlife magazine and the National Wildlife Federation:
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Milkweed: It Makes an Insect Village »
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