Goleta rehabilitates historic Eucalyptus grove to bring back monarch butterflies

California monarchs are in dramatic decline. A count conducted this year at the Ellwood Mesa preserve in Goleta revealed an 85% decrease from the year before, while it shows a 99.4% decrease in the butterflies from numbers counted in the 1980s. Last summer, Former Gov. Jerry Brown allotted $3.9 million from state funds for the restoration of the historic Ellwood Mesa Monarch preserve in Goleta. The restoration is an attempt to bring back the monarchs to their overwintering grounds in the Eucalyptus grove that was originally part of Ellwood Cooper large farm planted in the 1870s, which has provided the pollinators vital protection from storm winds and excessive heat.