BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Volunteers hope that by spreading seeds, they can help monarch butterflies thrive in the future.

Earlier this month, volunteers spent two day spreading milkweed seeds over 50 acres of brown grass dotted with a few bare trees. They hope that by growing milkweed at the spot owned by the Nebraska Public Power District near Beatrice, they can help reverse an estimated 90 percent decline in monarchs.

Much of the drop is blamed on a lack of habitat.

Tom Weissling, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate professor of entomology, notes that Nebraska sits in the monarch flyway for the annual treks between Canada and Mexico. That makes additional habitat especially important in Nebraska.

The milkweed seeding cost about $30,000, which was covered by several groups.