A week ago 80 endangered Palos Verdes blue butterflies were released into the wild near Friendship Park in San Pedro. The butterflies were bred in captivity as part of an effort to restore them to their natural habitat after narrowly escaping extinction. There were years of preparation to replant the area with Locoweed and Deerweed so that the butterfly larvae would be able to feast after hatching.
There are two other areas where the Palos Verdes blue butterfly are being released to restored habitats – Chandler Preserve and a military fuel depot in San Pedro.
According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, “Still, biologists say it will take years to get enough Palos Verdes blues surviving on their own in the wild to have them removed from the federal list of endangered species.” And I cannot wait to see one in my garden.
Photo courtesy of Gary Friedman, Los Angeles Times
