MJV’s newest partner is the Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative (Okies for Monarchs), which was founded in the Fall of 2016. This consortium created a statewide monarch conservation plan that aims to engage all Oklahomans. Their mission is to “educate, engage, and support Oklahomans in the protection and enhancement of suitable habitat and nectar sources for monarchs and pollinators throughout Oklahoma”.
The Statewide Monarch Conservation Plan created by Okies for Monarchs engages many community members/sectors in monarch conservation, including: government, businesses, schools, farmers, residents, and indigenous nations. Some initiatives they outline to increase public participation include encouraging planting monarch habitat in right-of-way areas, addressing policy/cultural barriers, and identifying land types most suitable for monarch conservation habitat. They have created seed mixes with the Johnston Seed company to provide three regionally specific wildflower seed mixes for Oklahoma.
Okies for Monarchs has a dynamic outreach strategy, from tabling events, to active online engagement, to hosting monarch meetups and fulfilling speaker requests. Okies for Monarchs has experienced many successes with outreach, the development of rangeland best practices, and improving rights-of-way strategies to restore habitat. They contribute data to mutual data collection tools, and have participated in and facilitated MJV’s Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP).
MJV is happy to welcome a partner facilitating so much public engagement regarding monarch conservation in Oklahoma.
For more information on Okies for Monarchs and Oklahoma monarch resources, please visit http://www.okiesformonarchs.org/.
The Monarch Joint Venture is a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners. Header photo provided by the Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative.