Virtual PD     | Join MnSTA    |   

Monarch butterfly monitoring opportunity

July 29 - 30, 2017

Monarch Joint Venture, a partner of the Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota, has a new monarch butterfly monitoring program and an associated training workshop.

This project, called the Integrated Monitoring Strategy (IMS), is a citizen science-based monitoring project that is being implemented across the Upper Midwest. This project is a larger and more habitat-oriented project than those we have previously conducted, and is intended to mobilize citizen scientist involvement in monarch conservation, provide up-to-date migrating monarch population estimates, and inform effective monarch conservation measures in the Eastern U.S. Participants adopt a field site (preferably a habitat chosen by the MJV, but this is not required) to conduct monthly counts of of adult and immature monarch populations, milkweed populations, and the abundance of nectar-bearing flowering plants. Many sites require access by car and moderate physical exertion. However, this is a great way to get out in nature and practice monarch, habitat, and plant identification during the summer!

Participants need to attend a two-day training workshop where they will be provided the training and materials to undertake this project. There will also be free lunch! This workshop will be held at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, and is scheduled from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday on the 29th and 30th of July.

Anyone who is interested in joining this project can register through a link on our webpage.  

More information on the project goals and methods can also be found here.  

If anyone is interested in learning more about this project but cannot attend the workshop on such short notice, please contact

Evan Pugh

Monitoring Communications Specialist

Monarch Joint Venture

612-625-8973

pughx042@umn.edu
www.monarchjointventure.org