ST. LOUIS – In an effort to protect the rapidly declining monarch butterfly population, Ameren Corporation has joined forces with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Illinois Chicago. The Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) is a collaborative effort to support and rebuild the habitats of these pollinators.
The CCAA has partnered with more than 40 organizations in the energy and transportation sectors to take advantage of existing rights of way to support the habitats of monarch butterflies and improve biodiversity. Ameren has enrolled nearly all its natural gas and electric generation and distribution sites across the service territory and is planting more native vegetation, especially around newer substations in Missouri and Illinois.
In addition to supporting monarch butterfly populations, these plantings will help support the habitats of other pollinators in the area, such as native bee populations, wasps, flies, moths, and some species of beetles.
“Ameren has an important role to play in supporting conservation measures to promote biodiversity in the areas we serve,” said Jennifer Queen, environmental scientist at Ameren. “Our service territory is in the pathway for eastern monarch migrations, so they will pass through here twice, which means we have the opportunity to make a significant impact to the monarch population.”
What Role do Monarch Butterflies Play in our Ecosystem?
- As pollinators, monarch butterflies help plants reproduce, supporting plant communities and preventing the extinction of plant species.
- Monarch butterflies and other pollinators are an important part of the food chain, providing a source of food for animals like turkeys, songbirds, bats, small mammals and other insects.
- Monarch butterflies, along with other pollinators, are responsible for as much as one in three bites of the food we eat.
- The migration of butterflies allows for more genetic variation in the pollinated plant species.
Ameren’s partnership with the CCAA represents one of many projects dedicated to biodiversity and habitat conservation. The company also has initiatives aiming to protect avian and bat species within their operations.
To learn more about Ameren’s commitment to biodiversity, habitat preservation and wildlife conservation, go to Ameren.com/Biodiversity.
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois operates a rate-regulated electric transmission business in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on X at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.