The Monarch Joint Venture offers virtual and in-person classes and community science training opportunities for emerging monarch enthusiasts, experienced conservationists, and everyone in between! Virtual courses can be found on the Monarch NECTAR Hub.
Looking for MJV to come to your school or event? Check out our Services page for more information.
Monarch NECTAR Hub
The Monarch NECTAR Hub is a network for education on conservation, training, and research. Check out the current courses offered below or go to the Hub now. Most courses are asynchronous, meaning that you can complete them from anywhere, at any time. Some courses are hybrid, they have an online component, but also meet in person.
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Mini Monarch Essentials
Mini Monarch Essentials is a 2-hour, self-paced online course that provides introductory knowledge of monarch butterfly biology, threats, and the effective conservation actions that you can take to help protect this iconic species and support thriving pollinator ecosystems.
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Complete Monarch Essentials
Complete Monarch Essentials is a 7-hour, self-paced online course that provides foundational knowledge of monarch butterfly biology, ecology, threats, and the effective conservation actions that you can take to help protect this iconic species. This course includes a deeper dive into milkweed ID around the US, additional threats and stressors, and chapters on community science and establishing monarch habitat.
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Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) is a 3 hour, self-paced online course to introduce and train community scientists on the basic skills and requirements of participating in the MLMP. Through this course, you will learn how to identify all life stages of monarchs, their basic biology and their annual life cycle through breeding, migrating and overwintering. You will also come away with skills, understanding, and value of contributing to monarch community science through projects like the MLMP.
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Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program
The Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) is a national program to collect milkweed, flowering plant, and monarch use data from a variety of land-use types and regions in the US. This online course provides training on IMMP activities as well as monarch and plant identification, navigation, data entry, and more.
- Participants will have the opportunity throughout the course to ask questions via email and on discussion boards. Live Q&A sessions will also be scheduled throughout the year with MJV science, habitat, and education specialists.
- Clock hours (CEUs) can be given to educators for teacher license renewal. Just email us! Speaking of teachers... email us for a discount code.
- If cost is a barrier and you would like to request financial support, please reach out to learn@monarchjointventure.org.
Please add your contact information via this form if you'd like to be notified when the next course is launched.
Questions about theses courses? Email learn@monarchjointventure.org.
Community Science Training: Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
Be a community scientist with the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP)! The MLMP team from MJV and the UW-Madison Arboretum co-lead virtual one-day training on how to collect data that contributes to our knowledge about the monarch population. Participants learn about monarch biology, monitoring procedures, and data entry protocols and are able to ask monarch biologists their questions about monarchs and monitoring.
Live virtual MLMP training sessions are typically held in the spring and early summer each year. We have our 2024 dates for live virtual training scheduled!
- *Completed* Western | January 31, 2024 | 9am-2pm, with 1-hour break at noon, Pacific Time
West of the continental divide: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico
- *Completed* Southern | February 24, 2024 | 10am-3pm, with 1-hour break at noon, Central Time
East of the continental divide and south: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and all states in Mexico
- Northern | April 18, 2024 | 10am-3pm, with 1-hour break at noon, Central Time
East of the continental divide and north: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and all Canadian provinces.
The above geographic areas are approximate based on timing of the monarch migration and milkweed emergence. These training sessions will focus on specific points related to these regions, but if a different date works better for your time or schedule, feel free to choose that date!
This year, registrants will also gain access to our new MLMP Online Course offered at the Monarch NECTAR Hub at learn.monarchjointventure.org after the live training is completed. This will include videos on identifying milkweed and more. A recording of the live training will also be available.
Reach out to info@mlmp.org if you have any questions about community science training.
North American Monarch Institute
The North American Monarch Institute (NAMI) workshop is an intensive professional development for K-12 and preservice teachers and non-formal educators, homeschool leaders, and community organizers. During this workshop, participants learn about the monarch life cycle and migration, gain an introductory understanding of monarch conservation, and learn how to participate in multiple monarch community science programs. In addition to heavy monarch content, participants will also explore concepts of schoolyard ecology and invertebrate diversity while following the process of science. This workshop uses the Monarchs and More curriculum as the backbone for content and instruction, and all participants receive a copy of this in addition to other materials, such as life cycle cards and poster, a field guide, a hand lens, and a bug box, plus informational handouts, lessons, and activities.
There are currently 2 NAMIs scheduled in Minnesota. One in June and one in August with following up sessions in October and February. Check them out on the Monarch NECTAR Hub. Reach out to education@monarchjointventure.org if you have any questions about NAMI.
Click on this link to learn more: NAMI Workshop Promotion Packet