There are many free resources that you can use to educate yourself
and others about monarchs. There are also many online resources about
monarchs, milkweed, establishing habitat, and monarch conservation
topics. MJV has compiled many of these online resources for you to use.
Additional information and resources are available by visiting our partners' websites.
Any MJV Handouts PDFs can be downloaded and printed for free, and we encourage you to do so!
You
may also purchase hard copies of MJV materials through the MJV's store.
MJV Handouts
Downloads
About The Monarch Joint Venture
This handout describes what MJV is as a monarch conservation organization. This document explains how we work in these four areas to achieve our mission: partnership, habitat, education, and science.
MJV Fact Sheet
This fact sheet provides a quick introduction to the monarch migration, monarch conservation issues, and the Monarch Joint Venture.
Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
This resource includes photos with habitat information for milkweed species common to each U.S. region. Find species known to be well-used by monarchs, and easy to establish in gardens and fields in your region.
Tropical Milkweed and OE: Potential Risks for Monarchs
This handout describes the risks of growing tropical milkweed for monarchs, including the spread of the monarch parasite OE in locations where tropical milkweed can grow year-round.
How to Create Healthy Pollinator Habitat
Use this MJV guide to create pollinator habitat of any size in the Midwest, from pocket prairies to large-scale areas.
Gardening for Monarchs
This informational flyer provides tips for how to create a garden that will attract monarchs and other butterflies and pollinators.
Monarch Conservation Talking Points
This document outlines a few major monarch conservation talking points that describe the value of the monarch migration, the benefits of conserving monarchs, and the steps needed to conserve the monarch migration.
Monarch Conservation: How to Get Involved
Monarchs are in serious decline and an all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to protect their amazing migratory phenomenon. Everyone can contribute to monarch conservation through habitat creation, educating others, participating in research, or financial contributions to conservation groups. This handout provides an overview of monarch conservation and what you can do to get involved in many ways to support monarchs.
Florida Monarchs: Exploring Dynamics and Habitat
Florida monarch dynamics are not as well studied as other North American monarchs. A small non-migratory population that is genetically distinct from migratory North American monarchs has long inhabited southern Florida. Winter breeding activities throughout the state have become more widespread with the introduction and increased availability of non-native milkweed species such as tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), giant milkweed (Calotropis gigantea), and balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus).
Western Monarch Conservation: How to Get Involved
Monarch populations west of the Rocky Mountains have reached a precarious new low. Conservation efforts are accelerating, and everyone can lend a hand.
Western Monarch Lookalikes
Butterfly identification can be challenging. Understanding different characteristics, such as color, wing patterns, size, and even flight styles, will help identify butterflies at a glance. Knowing which specific host plants butterflies lay eggs on for their caterpillars to eat will also provide important context clues. This handout is meant to be a quick reference guide, with western monarch look-alikes and their host plants all in one place.
Monarch Community Science
Learn about volunteer contributions to understanding an iconic insect and some of the main monarch community science programs to get involved in.
Which Monarch Community Science Program is Right for You?
This handout provides information on monarch community science programs to help potential participants select a program that aligns with their interests and abilities. Pair this with the MJV Monarch Community Science handout for more context on the contribution community science programs have made to our knowledge of monarchs and their habitats. Thank you to all the programs listed and to the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative for their contributions to this document's development.
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project Informational Handout
This handout provides an overview of the MLMP, and gives information about how everyone can get involved with monitoring.
Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program
The Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) is a national initiative to track monarchs and their habitats across their North American breeding range in order to better understand habitat availability, quality, and use by monarchs. This handout provides and overview of the program.
Why Grow and Sell Native Milkweed?
This handout provides the public, gardeners, and plant growers and nurseries with a concise description of the importance of native milkweeds and their value to monarchs and to the plant industry.
Risks of Neonicotinoid Use to Pollinators
Neonicotinoids, or neonics, are the most commonly used class of insecticides and are a growing concern among scientists and conservationists. This MJV handout delves into what neonics are, how they work and various paths the chemicals can take once applied. It also discusses the impacts neonics have on insects and other invertebrates, and offers potential solutions to the threats these insecticides pose to pollinators.
Rearing Monarchs: Why or Why Not?
Motivation is high to save monarch populations, but informally rearing monarchs at home is not the way to do it. While captive rearing has been successful in laboratory settings for other at-risk species, this approach is not yet warranted for monarchs, and recent research illustrates that informal captive rearing by individuals may pose significant risks to monarchs, including disease and lower migration success.
Monarch Ambassador Bookmark
The charismatic monarch butterfly engages people from across all sectors in conservation activities that benefit much more than monarchs. Through the Monarch Joint Venture, partners across the U.S. are working together to protect and conserve an iconic species for future generations to enjoy. Use this bookmark at outreach events to show the monarch as a pollinator ambassador!
Monarch and Milkweed Misconceptions
When it comes to monarch conservation, one thing is certain – without milkweed (plant species in the genus Asclepias) there would be no monarchs. Milkweed is not always recognized for its important connection to monarchs, in fact, historically it has come with some very negative connotations. In this document, the Monarch Task Force of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign aims to de-mystify some common monarch and milkweed misconceptions.
Schoolyard Butterfly Gardens
This is a brief guide to planning, installing and maintaining a butterfly garden on school grounds.
Protecting Monarchs Brochure
This brochure developed by the Pollinator Partnership highlights information about monarchs, describes their migration, and shares reasons that monarchs are at risk and what you can do to help.
Invasive Species Alert: Swallow-wort
This invasive species alert describes native and non-native swallow-wort species that may impact monarchs and provides information about management to help control them.
Plant Milkweed Bookmark (English)
The Plant Milkweed for Monarchs brochure comes in both English and Spanish languages.
Celebrating Monarchs Poster
This beautiful poster, developed by the U.S. Forest Service, illustrates the monarch life cycle from egg to adult, their migration, and their need for milkweeds and nectar plants.
Mowing and Management: Best Practices for Monarchs
This handout provides regional timeframes during which management activities such as mowing may be less detrimental to local monarch populations.Materiales en Español/Spanish Materials
Downloads
La Leyenda de las Parakata (Un Libro para Colorear)
Aprenda sobre la antigua leyenda mexicana sobre la monarca con el libro para colorear del Field Museum –"La Leyenda de las Parakata"
Celebrating Monarchs Poster (Spanish)
This poster comes in both Spanish and English.
Guía para la conservación de la mariposa monarca urbana
La Guía de Conservación de la mariposa monarca urbana hace un mapa de la ciudad desde el punto de vista de un monarca, de una manera que al final une estas piezas en una estrategia general y ayuda a las ciudades a establecer prioridades y objetivos para la recuperación de la monarca.
Embellezcamos Nuestros Jardines y Protejamos las Mariposas Monarca, Sembrando Algodoncillos.
This Spanish document was written by Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall of Lincoln University’s Cooperative Extension in cooperation with Missouri Prairie Foundation's Grow Native program.
2015 Press Release (Spanish): Overwintering Population
2015 eastern overwintering monarch population report (Spanish).
Siembra algodoncillo para las Monarca
Seleccionar y encontrar plantas de algodoncillo
Temas de discusión sobre la conservación de la mariposa monarca
Estos temas de discusión describen el valor de la migración de la monarca, los beneficios de conservarlas y las medidas necesarias para conservar su migración.
Jardinería para Monarcas
Crear un hábitat para las mariposas monarca y demás polinizadores.
MJV Fact Sheet (Spanish)
This fact sheet provides a quick introduction to the monarch migration, monarch conservation issues, and the Monarch Joint Venture.
Plant Milkweed Bookmark (Spanish)
The Plant Milkweed for Monarchs brochure comes in both English and Spanish languages.
Spanish-Half Sheet
This half-sheet is completely in Spanish and covers the basics of monarch butterflies. It explains why monarchs should be conserved, why they need our help, and how to help them. It also contains their migration map and basic monarch lifecycle stages.Links
Monarch Flowers for Mexico
Here is a list of nectar plants best suited for Mexico and the Michoacán region, published by La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca.PLANTAS de la Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
Here is a list of nectar plants best suited for Mexico and the Michoacán region.The Field Museum's Monarch Book and Monarch Coloring Book
Learn about an ancient Mexican monarch legend with the Field Museum's Monarch Book (colored in) and Monarch Coloring Book (disponible en español también). You can download a free copy at this link. Look under "Additional Resources" at the bottom of the page to find this resource!WWF Mexico - Mariposa Monarca
This website provides information about WWF Mexico's monarch butterfly conservation efforts.Gardening
Downloads
Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
This resource includes photos with habitat information for milkweed species common to each U.S. region. Find species known to be well-used by monarchs, and easy to establish in gardens and fields in your region.
How to Create Healthy Pollinator Habitat
Use this MJV guide to create pollinator habitat of any size in the Midwest, from pocket prairies to large-scale areas.
Seed A Legacy Program: Pollinator Habitat Program
The Seed A Legacy program helps landowners restore high-quality pollinator habitat with free or reduced-cost seed mixes. The minimum project size to qualify for free/reduced-cost pollinator seed mix is 2 acres. Visit BeeAndButterflyFund.org for program guidelines and to apply.
Best Management Practices for Monarch Habitat in Your Backyard
The following is a list of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help integrate quality pollinator habitat into everyday life as a homeowner. Missourians for Monarchs also realizes that not all of these BMPs will work for everyone, but it is their intent to offer multiple practices to help homeowners create a space that works for them.
Milkweeds and Monarchs
This guide to milkweeds and monarchs by the Missouri Department of Conservation shares information about everything from the monarch life cycle, to other milkweed specialists, to how to build and manage monarch habitat in gardens or on a large scale.
Plant Grow Fly: You Can Save Pollinators Brochure
This brochure describes the Plant. Grow. Fly. program at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines Iowa, background information on pollinator decline, and what you can do to help.
Plant Grow Fly: Planting Your Garden Brochure
This brochure by Blank Park Zoo's Plant. Grow. Fly. program provides a guide to planting a garden for pollinators in the upper Midwest.
Monarch Waystation Brochure
This brochure describes Monarch Waystations, a program run by Monarch Watch to promote installation of monarch habitats in a variety of landscapes.Links
Lawns to Legumes Program: Your Yard Can BEE the Change
Lawns to Legumes is a new cost-sharing and technical outreach program being set up for homeowners who want to enhance their landscape by adding pollinator-friendly habitat, including native plants. Learn more about the program by clicking on the link!Interactive Seed Map
This is an interactive map giving information about native seed vendors and seed experts that serve energy and transportation organizations across the country. This map was created by UIC's Energy Resource Center.MWAEBF Webinar Series: Monarch & Native Pollinator Habitat Design
In this webinar Pete Berthelsen presents information regarding the many interacting factors that need to be considered when designing monarch/native pollinator habitat.Sway Your HOA
This article published by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offers tips on how to convince your homeowners association (HOA) to approve water-wise landscaping practices and native plants. These tips are also great if you are trying to get more pollinator habitat in your neighborhood!Save the Monarch Website
This website by the US Fish and Wildlife Service provides information for how to get involved with planting and preserving monarch habitat. It has information for individuals, communities, agriculture, and monarch rights-of-way.How to build a butterfly and pollinator garden in seven steps
Learn how to plant your own pollinator garden in seven succinct steps from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.Webinar - How to Build a Successful Conservation Program
The Wildlife Habitat Council webinar, "How to Build a Successful Conservation Program", discusses the keys to building a strong and successful corporate conservation program. From planning and design and implementation, to monitoring, maintenance and evaluation, you’ll learn the essential tools for meeting your conservation and community engagement goals. Presenter: Colleen Beaty, Conservation Content Writer, Wildlife Habitat CouncilImportant Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).Ecoregional Planting Guides
The Pollinator Partnership Canada (P2C) has multiple guides for selecting plants for pollinators by Canadian region here!The National Gardening Association
Visit this site for a plethora of plant, education, and gardening resources!Illinois - Creating monarch habitat in your Midwestern garden
This guide by the Field Museum is a reference to the monarch life cycle, mimics and native nectar plants for the Midwest. It's focus is Illinois.National Wildlife Federation Garden for Wildlife Program
The National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife Program helps people restore habitat and wildlife populations to cities, towns and neighborhoods. Since 1973, the program has been educating and empowering people turn their own small piece of the Earth--their yards and gardens--into thriving habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Find resources, information, certification programs and how you can get involved on their website.Prioritizing Pollinators in Corporate America
This white paper explains the issue of pollinators and their decline, and provides corporate case studies from across the U.S. that are helping to solve the problem.Monarch Watch Waystation Program
Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources we need to create, conserve, and protect milkweed/monarch habitats. You can help monarchs by creating "Monarch Waystations" (monarch habitats) in home gardens, at schools, businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along roadsides, and on other unused plots of land.Monarch Waystation Map & Registry
This site walks you through how to create and register as a waystation as well as gives a list of registered Monarch Watch Monarch Waystations.Plant.Grow.Fly
Plant.Grow.Fly is an initiative to increase habitat for pollinators in the Midwest, primarily in Iowa. The program is run out of the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA.Milkweed
Downloads
Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
This resource includes photos with habitat information for milkweed species common to each U.S. region. Find species known to be well-used by monarchs, and easy to establish in gardens and fields in your region.
Florida Monarchs: Exploring Dynamics and Habitat
Florida monarch dynamics are not as well studied as other North American monarchs. A small non-migratory population that is genetically distinct from migratory North American monarchs has long inhabited southern Florida. Winter breeding activities throughout the state have become more widespread with the introduction and increased availability of non-native milkweed species such as tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), giant milkweed (Calotropis gigantea), and balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus).
Milkweeds and Monarchs
This guide to milkweeds and monarchs by the Missouri Department of Conservation shares information about everything from the monarch life cycle, to other milkweed specialists, to how to build and manage monarch habitat in gardens or on a large scale.
Identification of Milkweeds in Texas
This document has been produced to serve as a quick guide to the identification of milkweeds (Asclepias spp), in Texas by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Native Milkweed (Asclepias) Species Common to Mississippi
This poster from the Mississippi State Extension Crosby Arboretum lists 15 native species to Mississippi recommended for planting in the state.
Managing Milkweed Crop Pests: A Native Seed Industry Guide
Increasing the availability of milkweeds is critical to monarch conservation, but seed production can be difficult. While monarchs are the most well-known milkweed specialists, other specialist milkweed-feeding insects can cause damage to valuable milkweed crops. This guide by the Xerces Society provides management strategies for dealing with common milkweed pests including aphids, milkweed bugs, and milkweed beetles.
Assessing the milkweed seed marketplace in Iowa
The Tallgrass Prairie Center conducted a review of the availability of milkweed in the commercial seed marketplace in Iowa.
Native Milkweeds of the Desert Southwest
This native milkweed guide covers the deserts of the interior western United States, providing profiles of recommended native milkweed plants and information about milkweed conservation practices in this region.
Monarchs and Milkweeds: The Current Situation and Methods for Propogating Milkweeds
This USDA Forest Service publication reviews the conservation challenges facing monarchs, and provides a guide for propogating milkweeds.
Milkweed and Monarchs in the Western U.S.
This guide helps natural resource agencies and land managers manage, protect and enhance milkweed stands on their land. It has information on monarch and milkweed biology, the importance of milkweed and monarchs, threats to monarchs and their breeding habitat and how land managers can help.
Southeast Monarchs, Milkweeds, and Host Plants Brochure
This double sided brochure, produced by the Xerces Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History, describes monarchs and milkweeds in the southeast region of the U.S. along with other butterfly larvae and their host plants.
Native Milkweeds of the Central United States
This document describes the value of milkweed to wildlife, highlights NRCS conservation practices in which milkweeds can be included, provides an overview of milkweed establishment practices, and profiles numerous species that are commercially available and can be incorporated into seed mixes and planting plans.Links
Interactive Seed Map
This is an interactive map giving information about native seed vendors and seed experts that serve energy and transportation organizations across the country. This map was created by UIC's Energy Resource Center.Identifying Common Milkweed
This species profile for common milkweed (<em>Asclepias syriaca</em>) by the Missouri Department of Conservation, describes the plant and how to identify it. Other Missouri native plants, including a couple more milkweed species, are also available to identify from this website.Great Milkweed Grow Out
Great Milkweed Grow Out is an initiative at Desert Botanical Garden to grow milkweeds for monarch butterfly conservation. Milkweed seed collecting and grow out supported by BLM and MJV.Milkweed & Monarchs, Back to Natives
Structured like a FAQ, this webpage by Back to Natives covers the importance of native milkweeds, and links to many other existing resources.Conservation Blueprint Habitat Tip Video: Milkweed Management
This habitat tip discusses the importance of milkweed and successful milkweed management for butterflies and pollinators.Pheasants Forever Habitat Tip: No Milkweed, No Monarchs
In this habitat tip, Nebraska Pheasants Forever discusses the importance of milkweed to the monarch butterfly population, as well as six different milkweed species that are commercially available to put in your next habitat project.Webinar - How to Build a Successful Conservation Program
The Wildlife Habitat Council webinar, "How to Build a Successful Conservation Program", discusses the keys to building a strong and successful corporate conservation program. From planning and design and implementation, to monitoring, maintenance and evaluation, you’ll learn the essential tools for meeting your conservation and community engagement goals. Presenter: Colleen Beaty, Conservation Content Writer, Wildlife Habitat CouncilImportant Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).Monarchs in the Rough Campaign
Audubon International & the Environmental Defense Fund have teamed up to partner with North America’s golf courses to reverse the decline. They are working to establish essential habitat for butterflies, increase awareness of conservation challenges and provide technical support for projects on-the-ground with this campaign.Illinois - Creating monarch habitat in your Midwestern garden
This guide by the Field Museum is a reference to the monarch life cycle, mimics and native nectar plants for the Midwest. It's focus is Illinois.Tropical milkweed and monarch butterflies
One species of milkweed has monarch scientists worried. Find out more about monarchs and tropical milkweed in this youtube video from Project Monarch Health.Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner's Guide
With partial support from the MJV, the Xerces Society has put together a comprehensive guide to milkweeds, including biology/ecology, propagation, benefits to wildlife, and use in restoration projects.Monarch Watch Milkweed Market
Purchase milkweed plugs for your region from Monarch Watch's Milkweed Market.Xerces Society Milkweed Seed Finder
Find native milkweed seed suppliers in your state with the Xerces Society's Milkweed Seed Finder.USDA Plants Asclepias Profile
Use the USDA Plants Database to learn more about <em>Asclepias</em> spp., including distribution, classification, and general plant information.Biota of North America's Asclepias Page
BONAP's <em>Asclepias</em> page illustrates the abundance of many milkweed species in North America, distinguishing the native from non-native range for each species.Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign
This Monarch Watch campaign provides online information about monarch conservation needs, profiles milkweed species, and provides information about planting, harvesting, and purchasing milkweed.Plant Guides
Downloads
Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
This resource includes photos with habitat information for milkweed species common to each U.S. region. Find species known to be well-used by monarchs, and easy to establish in gardens and fields in your region.
How to Create Healthy Pollinator Habitat
Use this MJV guide to create pollinator habitat of any size in the Midwest, from pocket prairies to large-scale areas.
Invasive Species Alert: Swallow-wort
This invasive species alert describes native and non-native swallow-wort species that may impact monarchs and provides information about management to help control them.
A Patchwork for Pollinators
Big spreads of wildflowers are great for bees, butterflies and gamebirds. But small patches of habitat are critical too ... for wildlife and farmers alike.
Illinois - Creating monarch habitat in your Midwestern garden
This guide by the Field Museum is a reference to the monarch life cycle, mimics and native nectar plants for the Midwest. Its focus is Illinois.
Plant Recommendations for Monarch Butterflies for the Southern Plains
This brochure published by NRCS lists the recommended plants for monarch butterflies in the Southern Plains.
Plant Recommendations for Monarch Butterflies for the Upper Midwest
Published by the NRCS, this brochure lists plant recommendations for monarch butterflies for states in the Upper Midwest.
Nectar Connectors: A Nature's Notebook Campaign
To meet the needs of the US Fish & Wildlife Service and other natural resource managers concerned about monarchs and other pollinators, the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN; www.usanpn.org) is seeking to provide a more accurate picture of the spatial and temporal distribution of nectar resources across the United States. These data will help resource managers evaluate habitat quality and landscape-level connectivity and how this corresponds to the migration and breeding needs of monarchs and other pollinators. Find out more about the program, and how you can help!
Identification of Milkweeds in Texas
This document has been produced to serve as a quick guide to the identification of milkweeds (Asclepias spp), in Texas by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Native Milkweeds of the Desert Southwest
This native milkweed guide covers the deserts of the interior western United States, providing profiles of recommended native milkweed plants and information about milkweed conservation practices in this region.
Southeast Monarchs, Milkweeds, and Host Plants Brochure
This double sided brochure, produced by the Xerces Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History, describes monarchs and milkweeds in the southeast region of the U.S. along with other butterfly larvae and their host plants.
Native Milkweeds of the Central United States
This document describes the value of milkweed to wildlife, highlights NRCS conservation practices in which milkweeds can be included, provides an overview of milkweed establishment practices, and profiles numerous species that are commercially available and can be incorporated into seed mixes and planting plans.Links
Ecoregional Planting Guides
The Pollinator Partnership Canada (P2C) has multiple guides for selecting plants for pollinators by Canadian region here!Illinois - Creating monarch habitat in your Midwestern garden
This guide by the Field Museum is a reference to the monarch life cycle, mimics and native nectar plants for the Midwest. It's focus is Illinois.Pollinator Partnership Ecoregional Fueling Zone (Nectar Plant) Guides
These fueling zone guides provide recommendations for seasonal nectar plants for monarchs along the eastern U.S. migratory corridor.Xerces Society Milkweed Seed Finder
Find native milkweed seed suppliers in your state with the Xerces Society's Milkweed Seed Finder.Pollinator Partnership Ecoregional Planting Guides
These planting guides developed by the Pollinator Partnership are great for selecting native plants for pollinators in any region of the U.S.USDA Plants Asclepias Profile
Use the USDA Plants Database to learn more about <em>Asclepias</em> spp., including distribution, classification, and general plant information.Habitat Management
Downloads
How to Create Healthy Pollinator Habitat
Use this MJV guide to create pollinator habitat of any size in the Midwest, from pocket prairies to large-scale areas.
Florida Monarchs: Exploring Dynamics and Habitat
Florida monarch dynamics are not as well studied as other North American monarchs. A small non-migratory population that is genetically distinct from migratory North American monarchs has long inhabited southern Florida. Winter breeding activities throughout the state have become more widespread with the introduction and increased availability of non-native milkweed species such as tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), giant milkweed (Calotropis gigantea), and balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus).
Seed A Legacy Program: Pollinator Habitat Program
The Seed A Legacy program helps landowners restore high-quality pollinator habitat with free or reduced-cost seed mixes. The minimum project size to qualify for free/reduced-cost pollinator seed mix is 2 acres. Visit BeeAndButterflyFund.org for program guidelines and to apply.
Best Management Practices for Monarch Habitat in Your Backyard
The following is a list of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help integrate quality pollinator habitat into everyday life as a homeowner. Missourians for Monarchs also realizes that not all of these BMPs will work for everyone, but it is their intent to offer multiple practices to help homeowners create a space that works for them.
Milkweeds and Monarchs
This guide to milkweeds and monarchs by the Missouri Department of Conservation shares information about everything from the monarch life cycle, to other milkweed specialists, to how to build and manage monarch habitat in gardens or on a large scale.
Effects of grazing versus fire for prairie management: Bee Sampling Protocol
Minnesota's prairies depend on disturbance. With funding from the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund, USGS and University of Minnesota researchers are working to determine how management strategies influences prairie plants, bees and butterflies. These protocols were used to survey bees.
Effects of Grazing versus Fire for Prairie Management Handout
Minnesota's prairies depend on disturbance. With funding from the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund, USGS and University of Minnesota researchers are working to determine how management strategies influences prairie plants, bees and butterflies. This handout describes the project.
Effects of Grazing versus Fire for Remnant Prairie Management: Vegetation Meandering Walk
The meandering walk is adapted from the Prairie Reconstruction Initiative (PRI) protocol, which was developed to assess changes in vegetation presence following the reconstruction of formerly agricultural land back to prairie, but works equally well in assessing vegetation in remnant prairie.
Effects of Grazing vs Fire for Prairie Management: Vegetation Monitoring Nested Frequency Plots
Minnesota's prairies depend on disturbance. With funding from the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund, USGS and University of Minnesota researchers are working to determine how management strategies influences prairie plants, bees and butterflies. These protocols were used to determine vegetation frequency.
Managing Public Lands for Pollinators
This guide produced by the Pollinator Partnership and the Bureau of Land Management provides information on how to evaluate land health for pollinators and best management practices to improve pollinator health on public lands.
Pollinator-Friendly Parks
This guide published by the Xerces Society provides guidelines for how to design and manage parks that are pollinator-friendly. It includes extensive appendices with plant lists and additional resources.
Land Manager's Restoration Guide for the Eastern U.S.
This guide published by the Pollinator Partnership outlines how land managers can lead a habitat restoration project. It includes ecoregional plant tables for the eastern monarch migratory corridor.
Pollinator Friendly Practices
This PDF published by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) provides guidelines for pollinator friendly land management practices for schools, agriculture, forests, homes, public spaces and private industries.
Technical Guide: Preserving and Creating Pollinator Habitat on Ontario's Farms
This is a guide published by Pollinator Partnership Canada for farmers who want to work to preserve or create pollinator habitat on their farms. It highlights three main strategies and provides information on how to apply these strategies for different types of farms.
Create, Conserve & Protect Monarch Habitats Poster
This poster, created by Idaho Fish and Game, highlights monarchs as Idaho's state insect. The poster displays the message: "Create, Conserve & Protect Monarch Habitats."
Western Monarch Management Windows: Timing Management in Monarch Breeding Habitat
Based on the best available data for when and where monarchs breed in the West, The Xerces Society has developed regionally appropriate monarch breeding habitat management windows, shown on the map on the back of this fact sheet. These windows are periods when management activities are least likely to have negative effects on monarchs.
Managing for Monarchs in the West: BMPs for Conserving the Monarch Butterfly and its Habitat
Managing for Monarchs in the West by the Xerces Society provides a summary of the known effects of frequently used land management practices—grazing, mowing, prescribed fire, and pesticides—on monarchs and their breeding and migratory habitat, followed by best management practices (BMPs) for how to integrate monarch conservation in management decisions. Guidance on timing management activities gives managers the confidence of when they can mow, burn, or graze land without disrupting breeding monarchs. Invasive non-native and noxious plant management, recreation, and climate change impacts are also addressed. To help reverse the western monarchs’ population trend, we need to improve protection and management of the butterfly’s habitat across its range—especially on public lands. These BMPs provide actionable, practical guidance that empowers western land managers to be part of the solution.
PF/QF Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet
This Pheasants & Quail Forever Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet describes techniques for establishing high-quality ROW habitat.
Tribal Environmental Alliance for Monarchs 2015-2017 update
Building Tribal Capacity for Monarch Habitat Restoration in Oklahoma. While the project was intended to last from 2015-2017, the supplies and education provided are continuing to impact tribal lands and citizens. Presentation by Andrew Gourd, Land Use Coordinator, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
Insect Pollinator Best Management Practices (Minnesota)
This MN Department of Agriculture brochure describes how to successfully manage for pollinators in Minnesota yards and gardens.
Pollinators in Natural Areas
This 8-page booklet produced by the Xerces Society provides a summary of how land managers can protect and provide habitat for bees, butterflies and pollinators. It includes potential impacts of fire, grazing, mowing, herbicides, and insecticides. It provides recommendations for how to adjust use of these management actions to benefit pollinators.
Working Lands for Monarch Butterflies Fact Sheet
Two-thirds of the continental United States is privately owned, and producers can play a crucial role in helping recover the monarch. Find out how with this Natural Resources Conservation Service fact sheet.
Prairie Restoration Technical Guides
These technical guides created by MJV partner the Tallgrass Prairie Center provide guidelines for the entire process of establishing a tallgrass prairie habitat. There are 10 guides in this document: 1) Seed Collecting 2) Drying and Cleaning 3) Propagating 4) Recognizing Tallgrass Prairie Remnants 5) Seed Sourcing 6) Designing Seed Mixes 7) Site Preparation 8) Seeding 9) Initial Management 10) Evaluating Establishment.
Parks for Monarchs: A Resource Guide for Monarch Conservation
This guide by NRPA and the MJV provides information and resources on monarch biology, how to create and restore pollinator habitat, how to engage citizen volunteers in monarch conservation and how to make parks not only a refuge for monarchs and other pollinators, but a place where visitors can engage in monarch conservation and build a connection with the park
Guidelines for Establishing a Prairie
Prairie Restorations, Inc. of Minnesota developed this resource to inform anyone interested in establishing a prairie on their property, or a property that they manage.
Monarch Breeding Habitat Assessment Tool
This tool is designed to help assess the quality of your milkweed habitat for monarchs. The interactive tool describes characteristics of monarch breeding habitat and assigns values based on importance to monarchs.Links
Pollinator Habitat Installation Guide to Guides, Pollinator Partnership
This regionally-specific content is designed for easy navigation through various habitat types and specific goals across the country. These resources are organized by region and then by land use type and scale.Earth Partnership, Pollinator Habitat Guide
This pollinator habitat guide by the Earth Partnership is designed to provide curriculum to k-12 educators on teaching habitat restoration, but also can be used as a resource for anyone interested in pollinator habitat restoration.Best Management Practices for Pollinators on Western Rangelands
The best management practices developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation were informed by a literature review and surveys and interviews with pollinator experts, ranchers, and land managers. Completed in June 2018, the BMPs provide actionable, practical recommendations that enable land managers to help conserve pollinators on rangelands that span the eleven western United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Management practices addressed include grazing, mowing, prescribed fire, and pesticide use, as well as recommendations on how to address pollinators in restoration projects, control of invasive nonnative invasive plants, use of managed pollinators, recreation, and climate change impacts.MWAEBF Webinar Series: Monarch & Native Pollinator Habitat Design
In this webinar Pete Berthelsen presents information regarding the many interacting factors that need to be considered when designing monarch/native pollinator habitat.Teaching about the Magnificent Monarch: Resource Recommendations for Conservation Educators
This document from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies reviews monarch education resources with no specific focus on western nor eastern populations.The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund
The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund provides free or heavily discounted pollinator seed mixes to private, public, and corporate pollinator habitat projects. You can apply on their website.Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund
Do you need funding for a monarch habitat restoration project or an outreach initiative? You can apply to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund. This grant is available for both habitat improvement projects and outreach and organization coordination.Prescribed Burning Information
This is a page with information and guidelines for prescribed burning by the Michigan DNR.Pollinator Partnership - Pesticide Learning Page
This page on the Pollinator Parternship's website provides information, recommendations, and additional resources about pesticides for the home garden and for agriculture.Pesticide Applicator Training Module
This digital training module by the Pollinator Partnership helps certified pesticide applicators learn how to apply pesticides to protect crops in an environmentally responsible manner. The module is provided on a USB drive for $20, and includes a digital workbook, answer key, 15 minute video, power point presentation, and an Applicator Feedback Form.Monarch Nectar Plant Guides
Monarchs don't just need milkweed in their habitat, they need a variety of nectar plants too! These guides published by the Xerces Society provide recommendations for which nectar plants to grow in your region in the United States specifically for monarch habitat.Pollinator Habitat Installation Guides
These guides published by the Xerces Society provide in-depth guidance on installing pollinator habitat for each region in the United States. Each guide includes seed mixes and plant recommendations for each region.Save the Monarch Website
This website by the US Fish and Wildlife Service provides information for how to get involved with planting and preserving monarch habitat. It has information for individuals, communities, agriculture, and monarch rights-of-way.How to build a butterfly and pollinator garden in seven steps
Learn how to plant your own pollinator garden in seven succinct steps from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.Ecoregional Native Plant Guides
The Pollinator Partnership provides free guides for planting native plants for pollinators by ecoregion in the US and Canada for free on their website. These guides are useful for farmers, land managers, and gardeners alike.Regional Monarch Habitat Development Guides
The Pollinator Partnership provides guides for monarch habitat development by region for free on their website. These guides are directed towards land managers, but anyone interested in improving their monarch habitat space can use these manuals.Conservation Blueprint Habitat Tip Video: Milkweed Management
This habitat tip discusses the importance of milkweed and successful milkweed management for butterflies and pollinators.Nebraska Pheasants Forever - Habitat Tip Series
This series of videos created by the Nebraska Pheasants Forever organization offers advice for the conservation and management of a variety of habitats.Webinar - Conserving Monarchs: Opportunities on Farms in Canada
Watch this webinar produced by Pollinator Partnership Canada and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to learn more about how to conserve monarchs and monarch habitat on Canadian farms.Southeastern grasslands eco-regional species lists
In 2018 the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is developing lists of grassland types and associated species for each EPA Level IV ecoregion within our 23-state focal area. Species lists for each region are being assembled using a combination of published scientific literature, unpublished survey data and reports, herbarium specimen records, and consultation with regional experts. The goal is to provide authoritative lists of trees, shrubs, woody vines, herbaceous vines, forbs, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, and fern allies that should be given priority for ecological restoration or landscape architecture projects within each region.Webinar - How to Build a Successful Conservation Program
The Wildlife Habitat Council webinar, "How to Build a Successful Conservation Program", discusses the keys to building a strong and successful corporate conservation program. From planning and design and implementation, to monitoring, maintenance and evaluation, you’ll learn the essential tools for meeting your conservation and community engagement goals. Presenter: Colleen Beaty, Conservation Content Writer, Wildlife Habitat CouncilImportant Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).CEC Monarch Conservation Toolbox
The toolbox is intended for farmers, other landowners, monarch experts and members of the general public interested in monarch conservation. It is hoped that practitioners and policy makers will use the toolbox to identify and replicate proven, successful practices, programs and projects in support of future monarch conservation efforts. This toolbox includes best management practices for the conservation and restoration of monarch butterfly breeding and feeding habitat across North America; conservation incentive programs for private landowners; and pilot projects intended to restore, enhance and manage monarch breeding and flyway habitat in Canada, Mexico and the United States.Monarchs in the Rough Campaign
Audubon International & the Environmental Defense Fund have teamed up to partner with North America’s golf courses to reverse the decline. They are working to establish essential habitat for butterflies, increase awareness of conservation challenges and provide technical support for projects on-the-ground with this campaign.Using Fire and Grazing to Maintain Productive and Ecologically Resilient Grasslands
Chris Helzer, Director of Science for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, discussed in this webinar what ecological resilience is and how it relates to prairies, and talked about various ways prescribed fire and grazing can be used to manage prairies for biological diversity and resilience.Conserving Monarch Butterflies in an Urban Setting
Creating habitat in the urban setting will ensure that the butterflies have a place to stop on their migration journey. In this Monarch Conservation Webinar, Catherine Werner from the St. Louis Mayor’s Office and Milkweeds for Monarchs program, Cortney Solum from Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, and Kristin Shaw from the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative, share a case study of the Milkweeds for Monarchs (M4M) program in the city of St. Louis, MO.Habitat Restoration Fundamentals
This Monarch Conservation Webinar is an introduction to the process of native plant restoration for monarch butterfly habitat. This webinar examines the step-by-step procedures for designing, installing, and managing native plant communities specifically designed for monarch breeding.Enhancing existing landscapes for monarchs and native pollinators
In this Monarch Conservation Webinar a panel of presenters share techniques and case studies for enhancing existing habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Topics include best management practices for augmenting natural habitats, roadsides, right-of-way areas, and other landscapes. Additionally, you will learn more in-depth about milkweed and nectar plant availability, including seed collection, plug production and sourcing native plant and seed materials.Tallgrass Prairie Center Prairie Restoration Guides & Brochures
The Tallgrass Prairie Center offers guidebooks, brochures, manuals and other resources for restoring prairie and propagating native plants. Take advantage of these valuable tools in your next habitat project.Establishing Pollinator Meadows From Seed
This Xerces document is a step-by-step guide for establishing prairie-like habitat from seed to benefit pollinators, including monarchs.Minnesota DNR prairie brochure
A brochure from the MN Department of Natural Resources describing how to establish native prairie grasses and wildflowers.Prairie STRIPs
This great resource covers information needed to establish prairie contour strips within agricultural fields. Include milkweed to make these viable habitat for monarchs.Nectar Plants
Downloads
Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
This resource includes photos with habitat information for milkweed species common to each U.S. region. Find species known to be well-used by monarchs, and easy to establish in gardens and fields in your region.
PF/QF Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet
This Pheasants & Quail Forever Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet describes techniques for establishing high-quality ROW habitat.
Southeast Monarchs, Milkweeds, and Host Plants Brochure
This double sided brochure, produced by the Xerces Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History, describes monarchs and milkweeds in the southeast region of the U.S. along with other butterfly larvae and their host plants.
Wild for Monarchs Brochure
As a part of their Wild for Monarchs campaign, Wild Ones has created a brochure to educate interested parties about gardening for monarchs using native plants.Links
Monarch Flowers for Mexico
Here is a list of nectar plants best suited for Mexico and the Michoacán region, published by La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca.PLANTAS de la Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
Here is a list of nectar plants best suited for Mexico and the Michoacán region.Interactive Seed Map
This is an interactive map giving information about native seed vendors and seed experts that serve energy and transportation organizations across the country. This map was created by UIC's Energy Resource Center.MWAEBF Webinar Series: Monarch & Native Pollinator Habitat Design
In this webinar Pete Berthelsen presents information regarding the many interacting factors that need to be considered when designing monarch/native pollinator habitat.Grow Native! Resource Guide
This resource guide by the Missouri Prairie Foundation's Grow Native! campaign lists vendors and resources for native plants in Missouri and the lower Midwest. The businesses listed here provide a variety of products including native seeds, plugs, plants, shrubs, and trees and may be retail, wholesale and/or mail order providers. Other businesses provide landscape architecture, landscape design, land care and landscape services, are arborists or forest managers, or provide wildlife habitat and ecological services. Others provide educational services or are institutions that support Grow Native!Aerulean Plant Identification Systems Inc.
You can search Aerulean's plant lists to find plants that are appropriate for your area and for the butterflies (include monarchs!) that you want to attract! Search by plant, butterfly or country, and find plants based on their butterfly friends, plant features or geographies.Important Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).Illinois - Creating monarch habitat in your Midwestern garden
This guide by the Field Museum is a reference to the monarch life cycle, mimics and native nectar plants for the Midwest. It's focus is Illinois.Monarch Nectar Plant Lists (regional)
One of the most significant actions you can take to support monarch populations is providing nectar-rich flowers and milkweed host plants. These guides were created to address a need for evidence-based, monarch-specific nectar plants throughout the U.S. These guides were developed in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture and National Wildlife Federation and are geared toward gardeners and landscape designers but will also be useful for land managers who are implementing large-scale monarch restoration projects.NRCS Monarch Butterfly Page
Find regional monarch plant lists (currently for Southern Great Plains and Midwest regions) as well as Plant Materials Center Monarch Resources in the "Publications and Resources" section of the NRCS monarch butterfly page. These lists were developed in collaboration with the Xerces Society and other MJV partners.Native Plant Societies
Every state and region has its own unique native plants. Find your regional native plant societies on this list to help you answer your native plant questions.Seeds of Success
Seeds of Success is the national native seed collection program, led by the Bureau of Land Management in partnership with a variety of federal agencies and non-federal organizations. SOS’s mission is to collect wildland native seed for research, development, germplasm conservation, and ecosystem restoration.Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm
Heather Holm's simple resource describes different plants recommended for pollinators, including monarch butterflies.Plant.Grow.Fly
Plant.Grow.Fly is an initiative to increase habitat for pollinators in the Midwest, primarily in Iowa. The program is run out of the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Pollinator Conservation
This page contains regional plant lists/descriptions to attract pollinators.Xerces Society's Pollinator Conservation Resource Center
This is a great resource center to aid in pollinator conservation planning efforts in different regions.Pollinator Partnership Ecoregional Fueling Zone (Nectar Plant) Guides
These fueling zone guides provide recommendations for seasonal nectar plants for monarchs along the eastern U.S. migratory corridor.Pollinator Partnership Ecoregional Planting Guides
These planting guides developed by the Pollinator Partnership are great for selecting native plants for pollinators in any region of the U.S.Conservation Plans
Downloads
Commission for Environmental Cooperation: Proceedings of the 2019 Trinational Monarch Science Meeting
Published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, this document records content covered during the 2019 Trinational Monarch Science Meeting.
Monarch Butterfly Monitoring in North America
Published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, this handbook provides an introduction to each of the monarch monitoring programs underway in North America. Many of these are citizen science programs that you can join.
North American Monarch Conservation Plan
Published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), this conservation plan provides the foundation for the MJV’s work.
How to plan a Statewide Monarch Conservation Summit
This document by the National Wildlife Federation provides guidance on setting up a state planning meeting or summit to coordinate monarch conservation efforts in a state. To make sure that programs are implemented in an effective and strategic way, it is important that organizations focusing on monarch conservation collaborate together to develop a unified communication strategy and identify opportunities to share resources.
2019 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan
The Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan serves as a guiding document for ongoing or new conservation actions, and may serve to inform other funding sources in an effort to coordinate monarch conservation efforts throughout the U.S. This plan is intended for any individual or entity to use to identify and integrate monarch conservation actions into existing or planned efforts. The Implementation Plan was derived from the North American Monarch Conservation Plan (CEC 2008), and is updated annually by the Monarch Joint Venture: a national conservation partnership of more than 80 entities working together to conserve the monarch migration. As a national coordinating body, the MJV will help identify opportunities for collaboration and support and guide conservation actions carried out by various conservation stakeholders.
2018 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan
This annually updated plan, based on the 2008 North American Monarch Conservation Plan, serves as a guiding document to support ongoing or new U.S monarch conservation actions, recognizing that it will take an “all hands on deck” approach to reach our nation’s monarch population and habitat targets. Any individual or entity involved in monarch conservation is encouraged to utilize this plan to identify and integrate priority monarch conservation actions into their existing or planned efforts. The MJV will use this plan as a guiding document to support ongoing or new conservation actions by partners.
2017 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan
This is the 2017 version of the Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan. This annually updated plan, based on the 2008 North American Monarch Conservation Plan, serves as a guiding document to support ongoing or new U.S monarch conservation actions, recognizing that it will take an “all hands on deck” approach to reach our nation’s monarch population and habitat targets. Any individual or entity involved in monarch conservation is encouraged to utilize this plan to identify and integrate priority monarch conservation actions into their existing or planned efforts.
2016 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan
The 2016 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan is designed to identify and prioritize current important actions for monarch conservation in the United States, and promote cooperation between diverse organizations working together to achieve the goals outlined in the plan. Any individual or entity involved in monarch conservation is encouraged to utilize this plan to identify and integrate priority monarch conservation actions into their existing or planned efforts. The MJV will use this plan as a guiding document to support ongoing or new conservation actions by partners in 2016 (and beyond), recognizing that it will take an “all hands on deck” approach to reach our nation’s population and habitat targets.
2015 MJV Implementation Plan
MJV updates their implementation plan annually. This document is derived from the North American Monarch Conservation Plan.
Monarch Conservation in America's Cities
This guide is intended for mayors, local government chief executives, municipal staff and others that want to take action to help save the declining monarch butterfly in their community. This guide provides case studies and shares innovative best practices that can be replicated by municipalities across the nation.
USFWS Species Status Assessment: Monarch Butterfly Fact Sheet
This fact sheet provides information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the species status review for consideration under the Endangered Species Act.Links
MANAGING FOR POLLINATORS ON PUBLIC LANDS, BLM
The BLM will begin to integrate pollinator friendly native plant species (native plant species that provide pollen and nectar) into the restoration work taking place in sage-grouse habitats, in post fire rehabilitation and stabilization seedings, fuels treatments or other projects that use seeding or seedlings. BLM’s commitment is to use at least one pollinator friendly native plant species in all projects that include seeding treatments. However, the long-term goal is to increase nectar containing native forbs, shrubs and trees present on the ground to ensure season long nectar and pollen availability that provides a variety of nutritional floral resources for pollinators, and ensures that diverse native forbs for other wildlife, including sage-grouse, are present on public lands.STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCY ACTIVITIES TO BENEFIT THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY
Review by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies of state agency wildlife action plans for monarch.Webinar - How to Build a Successful Conservation Program
The Wildlife Habitat Council webinar, "How to Build a Successful Conservation Program", discusses the keys to building a strong and successful corporate conservation program. From planning and design and implementation, to monitoring, maintenance and evaluation, you’ll learn the essential tools for meeting your conservation and community engagement goals. Presenter: Colleen Beaty, Conservation Content Writer, Wildlife Habitat CouncilImportant Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).Texas Monarch & Native Pollinator Conservation Plan
This plan outlines actions in Texas that will contribute to monarch and overall native pollinator conservation in Texas. It highlights four broad categories of monarch and native pollinator conservation: habitat conservation, education and outreach, research and monitoring, and partnerships.Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan
This Minnesota plan identifies core prairie conservation areas and creates a vision of a connected landscape of prairie habitat from Canada to Iowa.National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration 2015-2020
This strategy is designed to provide a more coordinated approach among tribal, state, federal, local and private entities to restoring plant communities in response to the increasing rate at which they are being altered by natural and human caused events.Migration Maps
Downloads
Spring Migration Map
This map, provided by the UMN Monarch Lab, is an illustrated version of the spring migration map.
Fall Migration Map
This map, provided by the UMN Monarch Lab, is an illustrated version of the fall migration map.
Spring Migration Route
This map, provided by Southwest Monarch Study, shows the northbound migration route that monarchs take in the spring.
Fall Migration
This map, provided by the Southwest Monarch Study, shows the southbound migration routes that monarchs take in the fall.
Monarch Migration: Spring and Fall
This map, provided by The Xerxes Society, shows the monarch's fall and spring migration routes.
Monarch Butterfly: Fall and Spring Migrations
This map, provided by the US. Fish and Wildlife Service, shows the monarch's fall and spring migration routes.
Monarch Watch Migration Map
Monarch Watch has developed a monarch migration map to illustrate the annual journey monarchs make to and from their overwintering grounds.Links
The Field Museum's Monarch Book and Monarch Coloring Book
Learn about an ancient Mexican monarch legend with the Field Museum's Monarch Book (colored in) and Monarch Coloring Book (disponible en español también). You can download a free copy at this link. Look under "Additional Resources" at the bottom of the page to find this resource!Western Monarchs
Downloads
Western Monarch Conservation: How to Get Involved
Monarch populations west of the Rocky Mountains have reached a precarious new low. Conservation efforts are accelerating, and everyone can lend a hand.
Western Monarch Lookalikes
Butterfly identification can be challenging. Understanding different characteristics, such as color, wing patterns, size, and even flight styles, will help identify butterflies at a glance. Knowing which specific host plants butterflies lay eggs on for their caterpillars to eat will also provide important context clues. This handout is meant to be a quick reference guide, with western monarch look-alikes and their host plants all in one place.
Western Monarch Management Windows: Timing Management in Monarch Breeding Habitat
Based on the best available data for when and where monarchs breed in the West, The Xerces Society has developed regionally appropriate monarch breeding habitat management windows, shown on the map on the back of this fact sheet. These windows are periods when management activities are least likely to have negative effects on monarchs.
Managing for Monarchs in the West: BMPs for Conserving the Monarch Butterfly and its Habitat
Managing for Monarchs in the West by the Xerces Society provides a summary of the known effects of frequently used land management practices—grazing, mowing, prescribed fire, and pesticides—on monarchs and their breeding and migratory habitat, followed by best management practices (BMPs) for how to integrate monarch conservation in management decisions. Guidance on timing management activities gives managers the confidence of when they can mow, burn, or graze land without disrupting breeding monarchs. Invasive non-native and noxious plant management, recreation, and climate change impacts are also addressed. To help reverse the western monarchs’ population trend, we need to improve protection and management of the butterfly’s habitat across its range—especially on public lands. These BMPs provide actionable, practical guidance that empowers western land managers to be part of the solution.
Considerations for Planning and Maintaining A Pollinator & Monarch Garden For Community Science, Education, and Conservation
With the precipitous declines of monarch butterflies, bumblebees and other nectar-feeding pollinators in North America over the last decade, the public has been encouraged to take actions to recover both pollinator and plant populations in their areas. The staff in many national parks, state parks, botanical gardens and zoos have decided to dedicate space to pollinator-attracting plant habitats, monarch way - stations and pollinator gardens.
2018 Western Monarch Resource Review: Project Summary
Monarchs in western North America have unique challenges and ecology. However, resources about monarchs often focus on eastern migrants. The NAPPC Monarch Taskforce and MJV Communications Working Group have compiled and and assessed resources available online related to western monarch conservation. The summary of this project is available here (November 2018).
2018 Western Monarch Resource Review: Results
Monarchs in western North America have unique challenges and ecology. However, resources about monarchs often focus on eastern migrants. The NAPPC Monarch Taskforce and MJV Communications Working Group have compiled and and assessed resources available online related to western monarch conservation. The results are available here in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (November 2018).
Protecting California's Butterfly Groves
The guidelines provide an overview of the biology and conservation of western monarchs; step-by-step guidance for developing a site-specific management plan, and overall guidance on topics including tree management, shrub and forb management, and visitor and public access issues. The document also includes a list of monarch-attractive native nectar plants suitable for coastal areas.
Native Milkweeds of the Desert Southwest
This native milkweed guide covers the deserts of the interior western United States, providing profiles of recommended native milkweed plants and information about milkweed conservation practices in this region.
Milkweed and Monarchs in the Western U.S.
This guide helps natural resource agencies and land managers manage, protect and enhance milkweed stands on their land. It has information on monarch and milkweed biology, the importance of milkweed and monarchs, threats to monarchs and their breeding habitat and how land managers can help.
State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in California
This 2016 report provides an assessment of overwintering sites of western populations of the monarch butterfly in California. From data collected at over 400 sites, the report summarizes existing overwintering trends and identifies the highest priority sites for active management and protection.
2013 Overwintering Habitat Monitoring Report
During the 2013 overwintering season, the Xerces Society and Monarch Alert partnered with MJV to assess and monitor 16 privately owned overwintering sites determined to be historically significant for monarchs.
Plaskett Creek (Los Padres National Forest) Management Guidelines
The Xerces Society worked with land managers at Plaskett Creek Campground within Los Padres National Forest to create a management plan to sustain the habitat for overwintering monarchs.
Managing monarch butterfly overwintering groves: making room among the eucalyptus
This research by Monarch Alert, published in California Fish and Game 2015, describes whether or not monarchs exhibit a preference for native vs. non-native tree species in overwintering groves in California.
Western Monarchs in Peril
This brochure produced by the Xerces Society focuses on western monarch breeding and overwintering and the need for conservation in the west.
Overwintering Habitat Monitoring Report
The Xerces Society has compiled their protocols and findings regarding monarch overwintering site assessment in California.
Legal Status of California Monarchs
This review of all laws and regulations that govern the management of California overwintering sites is the result of The Xerces Society's work with Professor Chris Wold at The Lewis and Clark Law School's International Environmental Law Project.Links
Southwest Monarch Study: Arizona Restoration Planting Guide
Here is a guide to help find the best plants which follows The Southwest Monarch Study's Arizona restoration guide.Southwest Monarch Study: Arizona Restoration Guide
Here is a PDF of Arizonas new restoration plan courtesy of the Southwest Monarch Project.Southwest Monarch Study: Monarch Habitat Restoration on Public Lands
Visit the Southwest Monarch Page to learn more about habitat restoration in Arizona and other Southwestern states.Best Management Practices for Pollinators on Western Rangelands
The best management practices developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation were informed by a literature review and surveys and interviews with pollinator experts, ranchers, and land managers. Completed in June 2018, the BMPs provide actionable, practical recommendations that enable land managers to help conserve pollinators on rangelands that span the eleven western United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Management practices addressed include grazing, mowing, prescribed fire, and pesticide use, as well as recommendations on how to address pollinators in restoration projects, control of invasive nonnative invasive plants, use of managed pollinators, recreation, and climate change impacts.Volunteer Training for the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count
Presenters: Emma Pelton, Conservation Biologist, Western Monarch Lead and Katie Hietala-Henschell, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist Description: Learn about Xerces' Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count (WMTC) and how to become a volunteer. This training module provides a brief overview of the monarch life cycle, migration, and decline in the West. Join us to learn how to survey overwintering monarchs as we walk through the Monarch Count Data Sheet and the Habitat Assessment Form for overwintering monarchs and sites in CaliforniaMonarch Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest butterfly tagging and population reporting. Alerts to community events, news and research publications.Monarch Alert: Cal Poly
Western monarch tagging- citizen science. Reader's corner has summaries of scientific papers, and other publications, including the Monarch Alert publication.Institute for Applied Ecology
The Institute for Applied Ecology conserves native species and habitats through restoration, research and education. They work closely with public and private partners to implement science based restoration and provide place-based educational programs and materials. They work primarily in the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern US, but some of our efforts are international.Rights of Way as Habitat, Energy Resources Center
This resource provides a log-in resources center for rights-of-way groups which has webinars, resources and meetings. They also have a database collecting monitoring data.North American Monarch Conservation Plan, CEC
Covers the natural history traits, range, and challenges of monarchs, and then outlines what needs to be done to help them. Each main section has a western component. Available in English, French, and Spanish.Monarch Conservation Toolbox, CEC
This is a project started by the CEC with other partners that is gathering information on monarch projects and conservation/management resources throughout their range. Most of the materials are eastern population focused, but there are a few resources available for the western population. You can search by region to find BMPs and projects relevant to your geography.Monarch Butterfly Monitoring in North America, CEC
This site covers monarch basic background and then gives an overview of the various monarch monitoring programs that are available and what the protocols are. Many of the programs discussed have a western component and there was one that was specific to California. This was published in 2009. Available in English, French, and Spanish.BONAP's North American Plant Atlas: Asclepias
This resource from Biota of North America Program shows species range of Asclepias plants in the U.S.Teaching about the Magnificent Monarch: Resource Recommendations for Conservation Educators
This document from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies reviews monarch education resources with no specific focus on western nor eastern populations.State Fish and Wildlife Agency activities to benefit the monarch butterfly, Assoc. of F&W Agencies
Reviews all state wildlife action plans.Newport Beach Environmental Nature Center Butterfly House
This website provides information about concerns with tropical milkweed and captive rearing, and provides information about how people can help monarchs. The organization also provides an educational opportunity for people visiting the butterfly house.Utah's Monarch Butterfly Conservation Initiative
Website to report milkweed and monarch sightings in Utah.Migratory monarchs wintering in CA experience low infection risk compared to breeding-year round
Here, we examined the prevalence of OE infection from 2013 to 2016 in western North America, and compared monarchs exhibiting migratory behavior (overwintering annually along the California coast) with those that exhibit year-round breeding. Data from field collections and a joint citizen science program of Monarch Health and Monarch Alert showed that infection frequency was over nine times higher for monarchs sampled in gardens with year-round milkweed as compared to migratory monarchs sampled at overwintering sites. Results here underscore the importance of animal migrations for lowering infection risk and motivate future studies of pathogen transmission in migratory species affected by environmental change.Monarch Advocates of Central Oregon Facebook Page
MACO is a citizen advocacy group dedicated to helping Monarch butterflies by planting native milkweed and educating the community about native pollinators. Their facebook page shares news and information about monarchs in Oregon, and policy actions.Great Milkweed Grow Out
Great Milkweed Grow Out is an initiative at Desert Botanical Garden to grow milkweeds for monarch butterfly conservation. Milkweed seed collecting and grow out supported by BLM and MJV.California State Parks - Events
Highlights several monarch events at various state parks around the state.California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife - Monarch Butterfly
A simple webpage reviewing western monarchs and providing resources for learning and creating habitat.MANAGING FOR POLLINATORS ON PUBLIC LANDS, BLM
The BLM will begin to integrate pollinator friendly native plant species (native plant species that provide pollen and nectar) into the restoration work taking place in sage-grouse habitats, in post fire rehabilitation and stabilization seedings, fuels treatments or other projects that use seeding or seedlings. BLM’s commitment is to use at least one pollinator friendly native plant species in all projects that include seeding treatments. However, the long-term goal is to increase nectar containing native forbs, shrubs and trees present on the ground to ensure season long nectar and pollen availability that provides a variety of nutritional floral resources for pollinators, and ensures that diverse native forbs for other wildlife, including sage-grouse, are present on public lands.Milkweed & Monarchs, Back to Natives
Structured like a FAQ, this webpage by Back to Natives covers the importance of native milkweeds, and links to many other existing resources.Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Monarch Monitoring Project
The Pacific Grove Museum and other partners have studied Western overwintering sites and measured their population and parasitism rates. In this report, data from the 2014-2015 overwintering season is presented including overwintering population data and tagging and parasite sampling effort including any results received to date from academic partners.Pacific Northwest Tagging
Visit the Monarch Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest page for information about tagging monarchs in this area or contact them at monarch@wsu.edu.Western Monarch Count Resource Center
This website provides all the information necessary to observe and count monarchs overwintering in California.Southwest Monarch Study
The Southwest Monarch Study tracks migration and breeding patterns of monarchs in the southwestern U.S., most notably Arizona.Monarch Alert
Monarch Alert conducts research and citizen scientist monitoring to better document the western monarch overwintering population.Western Monarch Milkweed Survey
Help document milkweed habitat in the western U.S. by reporting to the western monarch milkweed survey.Rights-of-Way
Downloads
PF/QF Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet
This Pheasants & Quail Forever Rights-of-Way Habitat Program booklet describes techniques for establishing high-quality ROW habitat.
Maintaining Roadsides for Pollinators
This guide, written by Pollinator Partnership, provides you with information on roadside enhancements that allow you to maintain safe and accessible roadsides and support pollinators. The information that follows outlines the science and research that lets us develop technical guidelines, case studies of roadside management for pollinators, and background on pollinator biology as a resource.
Factors affecting road mortality and the suitability of road verges for butterflies
This 2013 study in Poland investigated which factors affect the number of roadkills in grassland butterflies and, simultaneously, the species composition and abundance on roadsides. The results indicate that the rights of way which were of high conservation value for butterflies suffered the least from road mortality. The sowing of plant species, less frequent mowing and maintaining a high grassland cover in the vicinity of roads are recommended conservation actions for the improved conservation value of road verges for butterflies
Monarch Habitat Development on Utility Rights-of-Way
This is the Northeast regional manual for establishing monarch habitat in utility right-of-way areas. Other regions (including Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest) are available online at http://www.pollinator.org/monarchs.htm.Links
Pollinator Habitat Scorecard
The Pollinator Scorecard provides a flexible tool to evaluate habitat quality and the compatibility of management practices with pollinator habitat on rights-of-way and other energy and transportation lands.MWAEBF Webinar Series: Habitat within Rights-of-Ways
In this presentation Iris Caldwell gives an overview for understanding the importance of managing rights-of-ways as monarch and pollinator habitat and highlights opportunities for collaborative partnerships between rights-of-way managers and the conservation movement.Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Brochures - Tallgrass Prairie Center
Integrated roadside vegetation management (IRVM) is an approach to right-of-way maintenance that combines a variety of management techniques with sound ecological principles to establish and maintain safe, healthy, functional roadsides. These brochures by the Tallgrass Prairie Center provide information about various IRVM topics, including Roadsides for Bees and Butterflies, Landowners and Roadsides: Frequently Asked Questions, and more.Roadsides as Habitat for Pollinators: Frequently Asked Questions
This handout by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation answers frequently asked questions about roadsides as habitat for pollinators.Roadside Best Management Practices that Benefit Pollinators: Handbook for Supporting Pollinators
The Federal Highway Administration has released new guidelines in 2016 for managing roadside vegetation for pollinators. The best management practices provide concrete steps that can be taken by any roadside management agency to improve roadside vegetation for pollinators. The BMPs cover management of existing habitat, including ways to modify the use of mowing and herbicides to enhance roadsides, and methods to incorporate native plants and pollinator habitat into the design of new roadsides.Technical Manual for Maintaining Roadsides for Pollinators
This manual from the Pollinator Partnership covers establishment, restoration, management and maintenance for pollinators along roadsides. This resource can be used as a comprehensive guide for State Department of Transportation (DOTs) managers and staff.Prioritizing Pollinators in Corporate America
This white paper explains the issue of pollinators and their decline, and provides corporate case studies from across the U.S. that are helping to solve the problem.Texas DOT: Planting Wildflower Guidelines
These guidelines provide information about wildflower planting rates, sowing seeds, and understanding plant characteristics in relation to roadside maintenance.Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group
This group is focused on utility and transportation sectors. They provide a forum to collaborate and share ideas, best practices, and other information to promote successful habitat projects along rights-of-way.The Economic and Ecological Effects of Roadside Mowing
This webinar by the Ohio Department of Transportation answers questions from roadside managers about the value of conducting one late season mow back. Scott Lucas of ODOT Central Office and Bonnie Harper-Lore, a noted roadside restoration authority, are panelists for this 1 ½ hr. presentation.Rights-of-Way as Habitat Resources
The ROW working group facilitated by the Energy Resources Center has developed an informational page on ROW areas as habitat for wildlife, including monarchs. Check out the great resources they provide.Literature Review: Pollinator Habitat Enhancement & BMPs in Highway Rights-of-Way
This review establishes the research foundation for the development of best management practices for pollinator habitat protection and enhancement in highway rights-of-way that will be described in two subsequent reports.Pollinator BMPs for Roadsides and Other Rights-of-Way
The Minnesota Department of Ag has a great resource on best management practices for pollinators along roadsides and other right-of-way areas.Pollinators and Roadsides
This Xerces Society document outlines important practices for managing roadsides for pollinators.Right-of-Way Stewardship Council
ROWSC is an accreditation program that establishes standards for responsible right-of-way vegetation management in corridors.Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management
This technical manual for Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management sets the stage for a successful roadside work for pollinators in Iowa.Roadside Vegetation Management Manual - TxDOT
This manual illustrates environmentally friendly land management along roadsides and was created by the Texas Department of Transportation.Advocacy
Downloads
Monarch Festival Planning: A Guide for Everyone
If your organization or community is interested in holding your own monarch event or festival, this guide will help you on your way.
State Level Leadership Actions in Support of Pollinator Health and Habitat in your State
This document includes specific actions you can take to promote pollinator health and environmental sustainability when proclaiming Pollinator Week in your state.Links
Sway Your HOA
This article published by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offers tips on how to convince your homeowners association (HOA) to approve water-wise landscaping practices and native plants. These tips are also great if you are trying to get more pollinator habitat in your neighborhood!Mayors' Monarch Pledge
Mayors and other local and tribal government chief executives are taking action to help save the monarch butterfly, an iconic species whose populations have declined by 90% in the last 20 years. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors' Monarch Pledge, US cities, municipalities, and other communities are committing to create habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators, and to educate citizens about how they can make a difference at home and in their community.Agriculture
Downloads
How to Create Healthy Pollinator Habitat
Use this MJV guide to create pollinator habitat of any size in the Midwest, from pocket prairies to large-scale areas.
A Patchwork for Pollinators
Big spreads of wildflowers are great for bees, butterflies and gamebirds. But small patches of habitat are critical too ... for wildlife and farmers alike.
Working Lands for Monarch Butterflies Fact Sheet
Two-thirds of the continental United States is privately owned, and producers can play a crucial role in helping recover the monarch. Find out how with this Natural Resources Conservation Service fact sheet.
Subfield profitability analysis reveals an economic case for cropland diversification
Public agencies and private enterprises increasingly desire to achieve ecosystem service outcomes in agricultural systems, but are limited by perceived conflicts between economic and ecosystem service goals and a lack of tools enabling effective operational management. Here we use Iowa—an agriculturally homogeneous state representative of the Maize Belt—to demonstrate an economic rationale for cropland diversification at the subfield scale. W
Crop Production Costs, Profits, and Ecosystem Stewardship with Precision Agriculture
In one comprehensive framework, PA technologies affect profits, and improve crop production management through BMPs, with benefits for ecosystem stewardship.
Precision conservation meets precision agriculture: A case study from southern Ontario
Meeting future food demands for 9 billion people in the next 30 years will require either agricultural expansion or intensification to increase production. However, agriculture is already a major driver of biodiversity loss, as well as freshwater withdrawals, nutrient inputs, and greenhouse gasses, among other pressing environmental issues. In this paper, we look for solutions to this production-conservation challenge at the subfield scale.
Precision Conservation: A geospatial decision support tool for optimizing conservation and profitability in agricultural landscapes
Precision agriculture technologies provide a powerful conservation planning tool for identifying environmental and economic opportunities in agricultural systems. Precision implementation of conservation practices, such as CP-33, is the foundation of strategic conservation planning and is essential for optimization of environmental and economic benefits. Toward this end, we developed a geospatial decision support tool (Arc GIS tool) to inform this decision-making process.We illustrate the geoprocessing workflow of the tool and demonstrate the conditions under which precision implementation of conservation practices can concomitantly increase whole-field profitability and environmental services for an example farm in Mississippi.
Precision Agriculture Technology
Quail Forever journal article on using conservation buffers in farm fields.
CRP Honey Bee Initiative
This initiative by the Farm Service Agency provides mid-contract management incentives and activities to increase monarch and pollinator habitat in the Upper Midwest.
Technical Guide: Preserving and Creating Pollinator Habitat on Ontario's Farms
This is a guide published by Pollinator Partnership Canada for farmers who want to work to preserve or create pollinator habitat on their farms. It highlights three main strategies and provides information on how to apply these strategies for different types of farms.
Using Farm Bill Programs for Pollinator Conservation
These guidelines provide a concise summary of how Farm Bill conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program or the Conservation Reserve Program, can be used to restore or enhance habitat for pollinators on working farms and private lands.
Plant Recommendations for Monarch Butterflies for the Southern Plains
This brochure published by NRCS lists the recommended plants for monarch butterflies in the Southern Plains.
Plant Recommendations for Monarch Butterflies for the Upper Midwest
Published by the NRCS, this brochure lists plant recommendations for monarch butterflies for states in the Upper Midwest.Links
Operation Pollinator
This international biodiversity program by Syngenta works to increase pollinators on commercial farms by creating specific habitats for native insects.Living Acres Research Initiative
This research initiative from BASF focuses on best management practices to increase biodiversity within modern agricultural operations.Pollinator Partnership - Pesticide Learning Page
This page on the Pollinator Parternship's website provides information, recommendations, and additional resources about pesticides for the home garden and for agriculture.Pesticide Applicator Training Module
This digital training module by the Pollinator Partnership helps certified pesticide applicators learn how to apply pesticides to protect crops in an environmentally responsible manner. The module is provided on a USB drive for $20, and includes a digital workbook, answer key, 15 minute video, power point presentation, and an Applicator Feedback Form.Webinar - Conserving Monarchs: Opportunities on Farms in Canada
Watch this webinar produced by Pollinator Partnership Canada and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to learn more about how to conserve monarchs and monarch habitat on Canadian farms.Important Plants of the Monarch Butterfly Guides
Each guide can be accessed at the bottom of the monarch webpage, under the applicable monarch region (Greater Appalachian Mountains, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Western Coastal Plains).CEC Monarch Conservation Toolbox
The toolbox is intended for farmers, other landowners, monarch experts and members of the general public interested in monarch conservation. It is hoped that practitioners and policy makers will use the toolbox to identify and replicate proven, successful practices, programs and projects in support of future monarch conservation efforts. This toolbox includes best management practices for the conservation and restoration of monarch butterfly breeding and feeding habitat across North America; conservation incentive programs for private landowners; and pilot projects intended to restore, enhance and manage monarch breeding and flyway habitat in Canada, Mexico and the United States.Agricultural Pesticide Use Habitat Guidance
The Xerces Society works with farmers to bring habitat back into our agricultural lands. Within that, they work to promote pest management methods that reduce pesticide use and increase the abundance and diversity of native insects on the farm. The resources on this page provide guidance and information for producers interested in pesticide or habitat guidance.NRCS - How Farmers Can Help Pollinators
This site provides an overview of pollinator conservation on farm lands, and provides in additional resources for agricultural producers.Securing Pollinator Health and Crop Protection: Communication and Adoption of Farm Management Tech
Pollinator Partnership, contracted by the USDA and EPA, conducted a review of Best Management Practices considering the health and safety of bees in conventional agricultural pesticide application scenarios.Community Science
Downloads
Western Monarch Lookalikes
Butterfly identification can be challenging. Understanding different characteristics, such as color, wing patterns, size, and even flight styles, will help identify butterflies at a glance. Knowing which specific host plants butterflies lay eggs on for their caterpillars to eat will also provide important context clues. This handout is meant to be a quick reference guide, with western monarch look-alikes and their host plants all in one place.
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project Informational Handout
This handout provides an overview of the MLMP, and gives information about how everyone can get involved with monitoring.
Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program
The Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) is a national initiative to track monarchs and their habitats across their North American breeding range in order to better understand habitat availability, quality, and use by monarchs. This handout provides and overview of the program.
Monarch Festival Planning: A Guide for Everyone
If your organization or community is interested in holding your own monarch event or festival, this guide will help you on your way.
Monarch Butterfly Monitoring in North America
Published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, this handbook provides an introduction to each of the monarch monitoring programs underway in North America. Many of these are citizen science programs that you can join.
Captive Breeding and Releasing Monarchs
A group of ten monarch researchers and conservationists from across the U.S. have issued a statement highlighting concerns with the release of mass-reared monarch butterflies and recommended against the practice.
Monitoring Monarch Butterfies and Their Habitat across North America
Part of the Trinational Monarch Conservation Science Partnership, which is focused on shared research and monitoring priorities, convened in Toluca, Mexico (March 2017) to discuss shared monitoring priorities. Workshop goals included: 1) identifying trinational monitoring priorities, 2) discussing inventory and monitoring protocols for monarch butterfly life stages, and monarch habitat, and 3) determining monitoring action plans across North America. This report compiles products of the workshop, including trinational monitoring priorities, an inventory of monitoring protocols produced to date, initial steps toward coordinating trinational monitoring efforts, and recommendations for anticipated challenges.
Wild Ones Citizen Science Brochure
Wild Ones endorses member participation in monarch citizen science programs and offers some tips for how to get started.
Monarch Health Brochure
Participate in Monarch Health, a citizen science program helping to track the monarch OE parasite.Links
Volunteer Training for the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count
Presenters: Emma Pelton, Conservation Biologist, Western Monarch Lead and Katie Hietala-Henschell, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist Description: Learn about Xerces' Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count (WMTC) and how to become a volunteer. This training module provides a brief overview of the monarch life cycle, migration, and decline in the West. Join us to learn how to survey overwintering monarchs as we walk through the Monarch Count Data Sheet and the Habitat Assessment Form for overwintering monarchs and sites in CaliforniaMission Monarch
Mission Monarch is a citizen science project aiming at gathering data on monarch and milkweed distribution and abundance in Canada. This knowledge will allow researchers to identify the monarch’s breeding hotspots and implement efficient conservation actions. Participants find milkweed, look for monarch caterpillars and share their observations with scientists on the Mission Monarch website.Utah's Monarch Butterfly Conservation Initiative
Website to report milkweed and monarch sightings in Utah.Monarch Butterflies: Monarch Joint Venture and Monarch Lab Research
The Public Lands Podcast featured the MJV and University of Minnesota Monarch Lab to discuss monarch butterfly habitat, research and how you can get involved.Contributions of Monarch Citizen Science & Program Overviews
Monarch citizen science has been critical to our understanding of this iconic species. Four main programs will be covered in-depth in this Monarch Conservation Webinar, representing multiple aspects of monarch biology: Journey North and Monarch Watch (tracking the migration), Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (tracking egg and larval abundance), and Monarch Health (tracking monarch parasites). Outcomes of these and other citizen science programs will be shared.Pacific Northwest Tagging
Visit the Monarch Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest page for information about tagging monarchs in this area or contact them at monarch@wsu.edu.Western Monarch Count Resource Center
This website provides all the information necessary to observe and count monarchs overwintering in California.Monarch Health
Monarch Health is a citizen science project and research lab based at the University of Georgia dedicated to researching the monarch parasite, OE.eButterfly
eButterfly allows citizen scientists across North America to report butterfly sightings and upload and store their photos and sightings.Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network
The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network is a citizen science based monitoring program focused on monitoring butterfly populations in Illinois.Monarch Net
Monarch Net is a centralized resource of butterfly- and monarch-focused citizen science programs with a database of monitoring data, and a library of research published using monarch-focused citizen science.Butterflies and Moths of North America
Report your Lepidoptera sightings to BAMONA or learn more about nearly 6,000 different Lepidoptera species.Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project is a citizen science effort to track monarch eggs and larvae across North America during the breeding season.Peninsula Point Monitoring Project
Peninsula Point Monitoring Project is an effort managed by the U.S. Forest Service to monitor monarch larvae and conduct migration counts on the northern shore of Lake Michigan.Southwest Monarch Study
The Southwest Monarch Study tracks migration and breeding patterns of monarchs in the southwestern U.S., most notably Arizona.Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project
The Monarch Monitoring Project, or Cape May Monitoring Project, focuses on the fall migration of monarchs along the Atlantic coast, specifically through Cape May.Monarch Watch Tagging
To determine monarch migration routes, and weather influence and survival during monarch migrations, Monarch Watch launched a tagging program to mark individual monarchs with a unique identification.Monarch Alert
Monarch Alert conducts research and citizen scientist monitoring to better document the western monarch overwintering population.For Kids
Downloads
The Legend of the Parakata (Coloring Book)
Learn about an ancient Mexican monarch legend with the Field Museum's coloring book –"The Legend of the Parakata" (disponible en español abajo). Also find a link to the story book version (colored in) below under "Links".
Monarch Life Cycle Bracelet Craft
Learn how to make the monarch life cycle into a bracelet! Created by Patrick Bryant (Park Ranger at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge), this activity is inexpensive, easy to set up, and offers a fun and effective way for kids to learn about and remember the Monarch life cycle!
Wildlife Express: Magnificent Monarch
This brochure published by the Idaho Fish and Game Department has information all about monarch butterflies and fun educational activities for kids.
Wildlife Express: Perfectly Amazing Pollinators
This brochure by the Idaho Fish and Game Department highlights various different pollinators with activities for kids and students.
Monarch life cycle coloring page
This coloring page by Kathleen Marie Garness shows the monarch butterfly life cycle. Print it out a color away!
Monarch life cycle wheel
This activity by Kathleen Marie Garness is a great way to learn about the monarch butterfly life cycle. Print it, color it, cut it out, and make a spinning dial!
La Leyenda de las Parakata (Un Libro para Colorear)
Aprenda sobre la antigua leyenda mexicana sobre la monarca con el libro para colorear del Field Museum –"La Leyenda de las Parakata"Links
Youth for Monarchs
The Youth for Monarchs project is a scripturally grounded service-learning project, for congregations of all denominations, developed to engage youth ministries in the nationwide effort to save one of God’s most amazing creations, the monarch butterfly. This website is a toolkit and its pages include everything youth leaders need to inform youth, engage the community, take action, teach the importance of creation care, and collectively make a measurable difference in the survival of a species.The Field Museum's Monarch Book and Monarch Coloring Book
Learn about an ancient Mexican monarch legend with the Field Museum's Monarch Book (colored in) and Monarch Coloring Book (disponible en español también). You can download a free copy at this link. Look under "Additional Resources" at the bottom of the page to find this resource!Education
Downloads
Monarch Festival Planning: A Guide for Everyone
If your organization or community is interested in holding your own monarch event or festival, this guide will help you on your way.
Monarch Migration Game
In this curriculum activity by the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, students will play a game that illustrates the challenges faced by monarchs that migration to Mexico. These challenges include finding enough to eat, dealing with often adverse weather conditions, and avoiding external sources of mortality.
Teaching about the Magnificent Monarch: Resource Recommendations for Conservation Educators
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies received a 2016 Multi-state Conservation Grant Program grant to complete the project titled Expansion and Implementation of the North American Conservation Education Strategy’s Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (Natural Pathways to Recruitment). This grant included funding to create this resource recommendation to ensure that conservation educators have the best-available resources for teaching about the conservation of monarch butterflies. Resources were reviewed by professional conservation educators from across the United States using criteria developed from the Guidelines for Excellence: Environmental Education Materials.
Macaroni Monarchs
This life cycle assembly projects helps students create and illustrate their understanding of monarch life cycle.
National Park Service Pollinator Bulletin
This bulletin by the National Park Service outlines the basis of what pollinators are, why they are important, and what we can do to protect them.
Seed Balls Activity
Make seed balls for a native garden that supports pollinators, improves water and habitat quality, and attracts predators of plants pests!
Student Call to Action (short)
Dr. Karen Oberhauser issues a challenge to students to get involved in monarch conservation. Download the letter (short) and share it with any students that you interact with.
Field Guide to Monarch Caterpiallars
This guide will aid in recognizing eggs and distinguishing larval (caterpillar) instars of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in the field. We assume that readers have some familiarity with monarch larvae already, and will recognize their bold yellow, white and black stripes on or near their host plants.
Student Call to Action
Dr. Karen Oberhauser issues a challenge to students to get involved in monarch conservation. Download the letter and share it with any students that you interact with.
Wild for Monarchs Bookmark
Wild Ones has created a bookmark as a part of their Wild for Monarchs Campaign to educate citizens about restoring monarch habitat using native plants.
Monarch Life Cycle Bracelet Craft
Learn how to make the monarch life cycle into a bracelet! Created by Patrick Bryant (Park Ranger at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge), this activity is inexpensive, easy to set up, and offers a fun and effective way for kids to learn about and remember the Monarch life cycle!
Wildlife Express: Magnificent Monarch
This brochure published by the Idaho Fish and Game Department has information all about monarch butterflies and fun educational activities for kids.
Wildlife Express: Perfectly Amazing Pollinators
This brochure by the Idaho Fish and Game Department highlights various different pollinators with activities for kids and students.
Monarch life cycle wheel
This activity by Kathleen Marie Garness is a great way to learn about the monarch butterfly life cycle. Print it, color it, cut it out, and make a spinning dial!Links
The Monarch in Creation Youth Discussion Guide
This discussion guide has been developed as a Christian education tool for use after viewing an educational film about monarch butterflies.Youth for Monarchs
The Youth for Monarchs project is a scripturally grounded service-learning project, for congregations of all denominations, developed to engage youth ministries in the nationwide effort to save one of God’s most amazing creations, the monarch butterfly. This website is a toolkit and its pages include everything youth leaders need to inform youth, engage the community, take action, teach the importance of creation care, and collectively make a measurable difference in the survival of a species.Mission Monarch Educational Kit
Mission Monarch is a research project dedicated to monarch conservation through citizen science in Canada. Their lesson covers an introduction to the biology of the monarch butterfly in Canada and its host plant, milkweed, followed by an actual 'mission' in the field. The education kit includes the teacher’s guide, the student’s booklet, a visual support (PowerPoint format), a field observation form and identification guides. It is made for the second cycle of elementary school.Pollinator Partnership - Pollinator Education and Outreach Resources Page
This page on the Pollinator Partnership's website has a great list of curriculum guides, educational tools, activities, and more for educators to use to teach about pollinators.CEC Monarch Conservation Toolbox
The toolbox is intended for farmers, other landowners, monarch experts and members of the general public interested in monarch conservation. It is hoped that practitioners and policy makers will use the toolbox to identify and replicate proven, successful practices, programs and projects in support of future monarch conservation efforts. This toolbox includes best management practices for the conservation and restoration of monarch butterfly breeding and feeding habitat across North America; conservation incentive programs for private landowners; and pilot projects intended to restore, enhance and manage monarch breeding and flyway habitat in Canada, Mexico and the United States.The Field Museum's Monarch Book and Monarch Coloring Book
Learn about an ancient Mexican monarch legend with the Field Museum's Monarch Book (colored in) and Monarch Coloring Book (disponible en español también). You can download a free copy at this link. Look under "Additional Resources" at the bottom of the page to find this resource!LEGO's Monarch Mission Lessons
The LEGO Community Fund U.S., National Wildlife Federation, and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association have collaborated with 25 schools in Connecticut to develop a monarch recovery and pollinator gardens at their schools. They've created a variety of lessons that engage students of all ages in environment-based learning to increase students' experiences and learning in science, technology, engineering and math!Monarch Butterflies: Monarch Joint Venture and Monarch Lab Research
The Public Lands Podcast featured the MJV and University of Minnesota Monarch Lab to discuss monarch butterfly habitat, research and how you can get involved.GrasslandsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure
GrasslandsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure is an online exploration of the grasslands for students in grades 4 – 8 and the general public, and how scientists, citizens, local ranchers and farmers are working together to manage and conserve this important habitat.Project Monarch Health Classroom Resources
Monarch Health provides classroom resources, including learning tools, presentations, and classroom activities relating to monarch parasites (particularly the OE parasite).Saving the Monarch Butterfly USFWS Video Series
In this video series “Saving The Monarch Butterfly,” Kim Betton reports on research and partnership successes through the Monarch Joint Venture, State Wildlife Action Plans, the value of educating our youth – our future conservationists, and how you can get involved to help make a difference.Youth Education Webinar: The Magic of Monarchs
The Texas Wildlife Association and Monarch Watch have created a youth education webinar about the monarch life cycle, migration and what we can do to help conserve monarchs. The webinar has a follow along worksheet, post webinar activities and asks students questions throughout the program. Scroll down to find the Magic of Monarchs webinar on the TWA website.MJV YouTube Channel
The MJV YouTube Channel highlights videos of our partner organizations and representatives covering a variety of different topics.Pollinator Health Legislation
This describes different state and federal legislation surrounding pollinators and their health.Monarch Butterfly USA and Monarch Magic
This website provides a great educational book for monarchs called Monarch Magic. With other information about monarchs on the site, it is a very useful tool for educators.Wild for Monarchs PowerPoint Presentation
The Wild for Monarchs PowerPoint presentation is a great educational tool for anyone looking to give a talk about monarchs.Driven to Discover Videos - Youth and Citizen Science
This short video series highlights the University of Minnesota Extension Driven to Discover project and getting youth involved in citizen science. Hear from the youth about their projects and learn what scientists are doing to help!Pollinator LIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure
View broadcast and webcast programs about pollinators geared for grades 4 to 8.Stories, Video and Other Media
Downloads
Maiden of the Monarchs
Discoverer of the monarch butterfly wintering site in Mexico, Catalina Aguado Trail, breaks decades of silence to tell her story. This article in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine shares her memories and story about the discovery.Links
The Hidden Beauty of Pollination
In this TED talk from 2011, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg shares intricate footage of pollen and pollinators from his film "Wings of Life."People, Plants and Pollinators
In this Nat Geo Live video, Emerging Explorer Dino Martins explains how all types of pollinators keep the world working.How to increase food production by using native pollinators
This TEDx talk by Laura Klahre make an argument for switching from European honeybees to local pollinators to increase agricultural production.Plants, Pollinators and People: A Love Story
This TEDx talk by Kyra Krakos explains the romantic interactions between plants, pollinators, and people and the evolutionary adaptations that brought them together.Pollinators Under Pressure
This documentary produced by Tree Media and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio is about the struggle for survival of pollinators around the world and what everyone can do to help. It is available to stream for free on the film's website.The monarch’s stupendous migration, dissected
The feisty orange-black butterfly uses a toolbox of biological tricks to find its way down to Mexico for winter and flap north again in spring. This cartoon illustrates how scientists figured out those tricks — and what they don’t yet understand. Story by Tim Vernimmen Illustrated by Maki Naro 06.14.2018Conservation Blueprint Habitat Tip Video: Milkweed Management
This habitat tip discusses the importance of milkweed and successful milkweed management for butterflies and pollinators.Pheasants Forever Habitat Tip: No Milkweed, No Monarchs
In this habitat tip, Nebraska Pheasants Forever discusses the importance of milkweed to the monarch butterfly population, as well as six different milkweed species that are commercially available to put in your next habitat project.The Guardians
A visually dazzling meditation on the delicate balance between human and nature, The Guardians film elegantly interweaves the lives of the iconic monarch butterfly with an indigenous community in Mexico. Both depend on the same ancient forest for their survival and now face an uncertain future.Urban/Suburban Areas
Downloads
Seed A Legacy Program: Pollinator Habitat Program
The Seed A Legacy program helps landowners restore high-quality pollinator habitat with free or reduced-cost seed mixes. The minimum project size to qualify for free/reduced-cost pollinator seed mix is 2 acres. Visit BeeAndButterflyFund.org for program guidelines and to apply.
Pollinator-Friendly Parks
This guide published by the Xerces Society provides guidelines for how to design and manage parks that are pollinator-friendly. It includes extensive appendices with plant lists and additional resources.
Monarch Festival Planning: A Guide for Everyone
If your organization or community is interested in holding your own monarch event or festival, this guide will help you on your way.
Monarch Conservation in America's Cities
This guide is intended for mayors, local government chief executives, municipal staff and others that want to take action to help save the declining monarch butterfly in their community. This guide provides case studies and shares innovative best practices that can be replicated by municipalities across the nation.
Urban Monarch Conservation Tools Manual
This manual focuses on the installation, development, and use of the urban monarch conservation planning tools, namely the Urban Milkweed Baseline Calculator Tool, and the Urban Milkweed Scenario-Planning Tool. Find tools specific to Chicago, Twin Cities, Kansas City, Austin, and cities in general at the bottom of the Field Museums site at http://www.fieldmuseum.org/monarchs
Urban Monarch Conservation Guidebook
The Urban Monarch Conservation Guidebook maps the city from a monarch's point of view, in a way that ultimately stitches these pieces together into an overall strategy and helps cities set priorities and goals for monarch recovery. Find out more at the Field Museum's website, fieldmuseum.org
Guía para la conservación de la mariposa monarca urbana
La Guía de Conservación de la mariposa monarca urbana hace un mapa de la ciudad desde el punto de vista de un monarca, de una manera que al final une estas piezas en una estrategia general y ayuda a las ciudades a establecer prioridades y objetivos para la recuperación de la monarca.
Western Monarchs in Peril
This brochure produced by the Xerces Society focuses on western monarch breeding and overwintering and the need for conservation in the west.Links
Sway Your HOA
This article published by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offers tips on how to convince your homeowners association (HOA) to approve water-wise landscaping practices and native plants. These tips are also great if you are trying to get more pollinator habitat in your neighborhood!Urban Monarch Webinar
Field Museum scientists and ecologists share tools for creating city environments that support monarch butterflies. Learn more about monarch conservation in urban areas and find the full guidebook: fieldmuseum.org/monarchsMayors' Monarch Pledge
Mayors and other local and tribal government chief executives are taking action to help save the monarch butterfly, an iconic species whose populations have declined by 90% in the last 20 years. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors' Monarch Pledge, US cities, municipalities, and other communities are committing to create habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators, and to educate citizens about how they can make a difference at home and in their community.Monarchs in the Rough Campaign
Audubon International & the Environmental Defense Fund have teamed up to partner with North America’s golf courses to reverse the decline. They are working to establish essential habitat for butterflies, increase awareness of conservation challenges and provide technical support for projects on-the-ground with this campaign.MJV Documents
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2016 MJV Annual Report
The 2016 annual report provides details on MJV operations and describes partner efforts.
MJV 2015 Annual Report
The 2015 MJV Annual Report was prepared in November 2015 in preparation for the Monarch Joint Venture annual partner meeting.
2009-2014 MJV Annual Report
The 2009-2014 report was prepared for the U.S. Forest Service in 2014. It describes the structure and organization of the MJV partnership, includes MJV and partner accomplishments, and provides a financial and investments summary.
2018 MJV Partner Updates
MJV partners and attendees of the Monarch Conservation Partners meeting submitted these updates on their monarch conservation work in 2018.Monarch Education
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Florida Monarchs: Exploring Dynamics and Habitat
Florida monarch dynamics are not as well studied as other North American monarchs. A small non-migratory population that is genetically distinct from migratory North American monarchs has long inhabited southern Florida. Winter breeding activities throughout the state have become more widespread with the introduction and increased availability of non-native milkweed species such as tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), giant milkweed (Calotropis gigantea), and balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus).
Field Guide to Monarch Caterpiallars
This guide will aid in recognizing eggs and distinguishing larval (caterpillar) instars of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in the field. We assume that readers have some familiarity with monarch larvae already, and will recognize their bold yellow, white and black stripes on or near their host plants.Science Program
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Remote Sensing Program Public Flyer
Flyer describing the Remote Sensing Program's status and objectives (2023).
Phantom 4 Drone Above Wildlflowers
DJI Phantom 4 drone hovering near wildflowersMonarch Research
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Monitoring Monarch Butterfies and Their Habitat across North America
Part of the Trinational Monarch Conservation Science Partnership, which is focused on shared research and monitoring priorities, convened in Toluca, Mexico (March 2017) to discuss shared monitoring priorities. Workshop goals included: 1) identifying trinational monitoring priorities, 2) discussing inventory and monitoring protocols for monarch butterfly life stages, and monarch habitat, and 3) determining monitoring action plans across North America. This report compiles products of the workshop, including trinational monitoring priorities, an inventory of monitoring protocols produced to date, initial steps toward coordinating trinational monitoring efforts, and recommendations for anticipated challenges.
Managing monarch butterfly overwintering groves: making room among the eucalyptus
This research by Monarch Alert, published in California Fish and Game 2015, describes whether or not monarchs exhibit a preference for native vs. non-native tree species in overwintering groves in California.
Monitoring Pollinators on Minnesota Solar Installations
Read about MJV's 2021 research on pollinator and plant communities on pollinator-friendly solar developments in Minnesota.
Top 10 Findings: Status of D. plexippus in Arizona
This summary of Morris et al. (2015) provides key findings from Arizona based research yielding insights into monarch migration and breeding in Arizona.
2022 Research Review
Read key takeaways from 2022 research on monarchs.Links
MWAEBF Webinar Series: Monarch Biology & Ecology
In this presentation Dr. Spevak discusses the interdependent relationship between monarchs and their native habitat and explores key considerations for monarch conservation.Migratory monarchs wintering in CA experience low infection risk compared to breeding-year round
Here, we examined the prevalence of OE infection from 2013 to 2016 in western North America, and compared monarchs exhibiting migratory behavior (overwintering annually along the California coast) with those that exhibit year-round breeding. Data from field collections and a joint citizen science program of Monarch Health and Monarch Alert showed that infection frequency was over nine times higher for monarchs sampled in gardens with year-round milkweed as compared to migratory monarchs sampled at overwintering sites. Results here underscore the importance of animal migrations for lowering infection risk and motivate future studies of pathogen transmission in migratory species affected by environmental change.CEC Monarch Conservation Toolbox
The toolbox is intended for farmers, other landowners, monarch experts and members of the general public interested in monarch conservation. It is hoped that practitioners and policy makers will use the toolbox to identify and replicate proven, successful practices, programs and projects in support of future monarch conservation efforts. This toolbox includes best management practices for the conservation and restoration of monarch butterfly breeding and feeding habitat across North America; conservation incentive programs for private landowners; and pilot projects intended to restore, enhance and manage monarch breeding and flyway habitat in Canada, Mexico and the United States.Monarch Butterflies: Monarch Joint Venture and Monarch Lab Research
The Public Lands Podcast featured the MJV and University of Minnesota Monarch Lab to discuss monarch butterfly habitat, research and how you can get involved.University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio’s monarch and milkweed research program is the result of UTSA’s Environmental Science Academic Program's engagement in a research contract with the Texas State Comptroller Office. This research is focused on assessing the monarchs greatest resource in Texas, milkweed, through roadside and site specific surveys, greenhouse experiments and field experiments. The research will result in a comprehensive report on native milkweeds in Texas.De Roode Lab at Emory University
The De Roode Lab studies the ecology and evolution of parasites and their hosts as well as the genetics of monarch butterfly migration. They use monarch butterflies, human malaria, honeybees, fruit flies and worms to understand the evolution of parasite virulence, animal medication and drug resistance.Monarch Research and Advanced Topics
Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Lincoln Brower, and Dr. Karen Oberhauser discuss advanced research topics in this Monarch Conservation Webinar. Learn about cutting edge monarch research using new techniques to answer questions about things like migration and population genetics. Additionally, learn about research in the areas of overwintering monarchs, disease spread, natural enemies, population trends, and climate change.Monarch Conservation Science Partnership
The MCSP is a collaboration between government, academia and NGO sectors to advance monarch science status and needs in the US. In support of the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership, USGS' Jason Rohweder and Wayne Thogmartin developed desktop and online decision support tools to help in conservation planning for the imperiled monarch butterfly. These tools, developed using the python scripting library with ESRI ArcGIS software version 10.3, include a 'County Ranking Tool' which can be used for national, regional, or local prioritization of conservation activity; a 'Milkweed Calculator' to tabulate the amount of current and expected milkweed in a particular area of interest, and; a 'County Area Adjustment Tool' (available for desktop only) which can tabulate consequences of land change (a tool which has utility well beyond monarchs and the resources that sustain them). These tools and an associated user's manual and instructional video are available at this link.WWF Wildlife and Climate Change Series: Monarch Butterfly
This report illustrates climate vulnerability rankings for monarchs and provides climate-adaptive management recommendations.Enhancing Monarch Butterfly Reproduction by Mowing Fields of Common Milkweed
This study examined if mowing milkweed during the growing season increases monarch reproduction. Mowing can positively affect milkweed growth and suitability to monarch eggs and larvae, but timing of mowing is critical and varies regionally.Monarch Health
Monarch Health is a citizen science project and research lab based at the University of Georgia dedicated to researching the monarch parasite, OE.The Reppert Lab
Dr. Steven M. Reppert and his associates at the University of Massachusetts Medical School use anatomical, cellular, molecular, electrophysiological, genetic and behavioral approaches to more fully understand the biological basis of monarch migration, with a focus on the butterfly's navigational abilities and its distinctive circadian clock. Their website is intended as a resource and a gateway for monarch lovers of all stripes (and spots).Monarch Net
Monarch Net is a centralized resource of butterfly- and monarch-focused citizen science programs with a database of monitoring data, and a library of research published using monarch-focused citizen science.Monarch Larva Monitoring Program
The Monarch Larva Monitoring Program (MLMP) is an educational and research program focused on the use of monarchs as a tool in classroom and outdoor education.Monarch Alert
Monarch Alert conducts research and citizen scientist monitoring to better document the western monarch overwintering population.Remote Sensing
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Phantom 4 Drone Above Wildlflowers
DJI Phantom 4 drone hovering near wildflowersEndangered Species Act
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USFWS Species Status Assessment: Monarch Butterfly Fact Sheet
This fact sheet provides information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the species status review for consideration under the Endangered Species Act.