Home to more than 40,000 plant species, 1,300 species of birds and millions of insects, the Amazon is an essential and increasingly endangered part of our global ecosystem. Highlighting the incredible diversity and beauty of nature and wildlife across the planet, Vital consequences (formerly) raises money for the conservation of the rainforest through the annual print sale.
This year, in addition to the fundraising campaign featuring the work of more than 80 photographers, the program has launched the ‘Saving the Monarchs’ campaign, showcasing the work of the award-winning National Geographic photographer. Jaime Rojo. “With the monarch butterfly population declining by 90 percent in recent decades, efforts are underway to protect their habitats and ensure their survival,” says a statement from Vital Impacts.
Rojo has spent twenty years photographing these beautiful insects, following their annual migration across the length and breadth of North America. Wintering in Mexico – or California for those west of the Rocky Mountains – the iconic butterflies return north in the summer, where they typically lay a single egg on a milkweed plant.
Depending on the temperature, the egg cycle lasts three to five days, after which a small larva emerges. As it grows, it sheds its skin several times and develops recognizable black, white and yellow stripes. Once the larva is fully grown, it spins a silk mat, inserts a stem into the mat to hang from, and encapsulates itself into a pupa. After about eight to fifteen days, the adult Monarch emerges with bright orange and black wings.
During the summer, monarchs live between two and five weeks, but when they hatch later in the year they complete an incredible journey south, where they overwinter in clusters on trees in warmer climates. These adults will then live just long enough to hatch new eggs, allowing future generations to return to the northernmost breeding grounds.
Monarch populations have declined in recent decades due to numerous factors, from the destruction of milkweed – the only plant on which they lay eggs – and overwintering habitats to temperature changes and drought due to the ongoing climate crisis. Initiatives such as Monarch watchwhat this fundraiser benefits is emphasizing conservation, tracking the movements of colonies, and promoting education.
Open edition prints on sale this year start at $275, with different size options and eye-catching limited editions. Sixty percent of profits are earmarked to support the conservation of the Monarch and regional Indigenous communities COICAan international program dedicated to supporting 511 indigenous peoples in the Amazon region.
The remaining 40 percent of proceeds “support the storytellers who are committed to shining a light on these critical issues and creating positive change in our world.” See more of Rojo’s work at his websiteand purchase prints in this year’s edition salewhich continues until January 31.
