Dorothy Bunny Bowen
Melting Monarchs
Rozome on Silk charmeuse, with top layer of silk organza; Hand dyed silk ribbon.
Juniper hanger by the artist.
60 x 30"
Private collection.
Populations of the iconic and beloved monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) have dropped an astonishing 96.5 percent over the past few decades, from an estimated 1 billion in the mid-1990s to just 35 million in early 2014. Conservation groups have been worrying about this decline for several years, and last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) finally took notice. According to the agency, monarch butterflies may deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act.
—Scientific American, January 2015
