The Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) is implementing a project to evaluate pollinator habitat on energy and transportation lands across Minnesota using remote sensing technology (UAVs). The project builds upon datasets gathered on public and private lands in 2023-2024 to create a more comprehensive map of resources available to monarchs and other pollinators throughout Minnesota. Funding for this project is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The project has three main objectives:
- Conduct drone (UAV) surveys on Minnesota’s energy and transportation lands to quantify common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) stems and estimate nectar resource availability (floral cover).
- Collaborate with interested parties to prioritize an invasive species, which will be used to develop a new algorithm for invasive species detection.
- Provide in-person and online training opportunities to enable others to independently apply this remote sensing technology.
MJV will provide data summaries to land managers for each site surveyed. Data generated through this project will provide a more comprehensive landscape assessment of pollinator habitat across Minnesota’s land uses.
In 2024, MJV surveyed 68 energy and transportation sites using remote sensing technology. Sites included roadsides, solar arrays, and powerline right-of-ways managed by 6 collaborators. The surveys spanned all four of Minnesota’s main ecoregions (Laurentian Mixed Forest, Eastern Broadleaf Forest, Tallgrass Aspen Parkland, and Prairie Parkland). In total, we detected over 6,000 milkweed stems, and milkweed densities ranged from 0 to 495 stems per acre. In 2025, we plan to involve more collaborators, expand to new geographies within Minnesota, and provide drone training so other organizations can apply this technology to monitor pollinator habitat on the lands they manage.
We are seeking additional energy and transportation partners in Minnesota. To get involved, fill out this form.