There’ve barely been any monarchs (Danaus plexippus) this year. Butterflies or caterpillars.

As a long-time milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) forager, I’ve always tried to be mindful of my impact on these tiny but magnificent creatures. For the past two years, I even allowed milkweed to flourish in my precious suburban landscaping to provide a refuge for whatever monarchs stray into my yard.

No luck this year. Until at last, at the tail end of a very dry, very hot August, my violation of HOA covenants was rewarded with at least one little guy. I found him (or her) munching on a milkweed leaf right outside my front door.

One. Single. Caterpillar.

I hear alarming statistics in the news all the time about how many plant and animal species around the globe face extinction every day, particularly in the rapidly diminishing rain forests. Despite the news, the experience is surreal—watching the slow-motion collapse of this beautiful orange butterfly unfolding before my very eyes.