CAPE MAY POINT--This is the time of year when thousands of monarch butterflies flutter through our region on the way to Mexico for the winter. Local researchers say the population seems to be dwindling and something drastic needs to be done to help stop it.

Louise Zemaitis is hunting for something she considers more valuable than gold...it's the black and orange she's looking for.

As part of the Monarch Monitoring Project in Cape May Point, Zemaitis and other volunteers are searching for the little winged creatures, so they can monitor the population as they make the annual trek to Mexico this winter so they can breed this spring. "We come up with a number of monarchs per hour," said Zemaitis, "that's how we can tell from year to year the health of the population."

This year's numbers are concerning to researchers. This time last year they were counting about 130 monarchs an hour; this year it's only about 28. "The theory that's being put forth now and I do think it's true, is that there's a lot of variation on the health of the population due to what's going on up here," said Zemaitis.

With loss of habitat being a big factor in the declining numbers, researchers encourage people to start a butterfly garden. Sometimes it's as easy as just leaving certain plants in your yard, rather than yanking them out like another unwanted weed. "A lot of people don't like milkweed and rip it out," said Zemaitis, "that's causing a major problem."

It's something local schools are trying to combat through education. 6th and 8th grade students from the Haddonfield Friends School were in town today studying the butterflies, something they've been learning about since kindergarten. This February they'll go to Mexico to see the butterflies at their final destination. "It's a life changing experience," said Bonnie Smith, a teacher with the school, "it's a very spiritual experience for a lot of people to be in a place that is so special."

Researchers hope others will get carried away with learning about these fascinating creatures before it's too late.

While some students say hello to the migrating monarchs, other are saying goodbye. Fourth grade students at Pleasantville's Leeds Avenue Elementary School released the butterflies they've raised from eggs since the beginning of the school year.

Each monarch has been tagged so the students can hopefully track them on their long journey. Before letting them go, the kids had some words of encouragement for the little critters. "Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go to Mexico," chanted the kids as the butterflies rested on their hands.

"If the butterfly is found with a tag, hopefully someone will be able to read the tiny website that is also on the tag, will go to the website, enter the data and we'll get an email that lets us know if our butterflies have been found," said teacher Mary Lenahan.

The class is hoping to plant a butterfly garden on the school grounds next year.