The U.S. Fish and Widlife Service and the Monarch Joint Venture co-developed the following educational webinar series on monarch biology, monitoring and conservation
Disclaimer: This webinar series is for educational purposes only. The opinions, ideas or data presented in this webinar series do not represent FWS policy or constitute endorsement by FWS. Some of the materials and images may be protected by copyright or may have been licenses to us by a third party and are restricted in their use. Mention of any product names, companies, web links, textbooks, or other references does not imply Federal endorsement.
Monarchs migrate through the southern Great Plains in the spring and fall, and also reproduce in this region in the spring and late summer/early fall. This last generation of monarchs produced in the late summer/early fall is sometimes referred to as the “fifth generation”. The importance of this generation to the overall population is not clear, and not much is known about this cohort. This webinar focuses on what is known and not known about this generation, including the timing of activity, habitat use, tachinid fly parasitism, OE infection, and tag returns from the overwintering grounds in Mexico, with an emphasis on Oklahoma and Texas.
Dr. Kristen Baum, Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University
October 23, 2018
55 minutes
Monarch lovers know that planting milkweed in their gardens is a sure way to attract these familiar black and orange butterflies to their yards. Over 100 species of milkweed are native to the U.S. and Canada, yet the most commonly planted milkweed is a single, non-native species. Tropical milkweed (A. curassavica), also known as Mexican milkweed or blood flower, is attractive, easy to grow, and often the only milkweed available at garden centers and nurseries. Unlike most native milkweed species that enter dormancy in the fall, tropical milkweed persists longer and even grows year-round where temperatures remain mild, such as parts of the southwest and Gulf Coast, providing a continuous supply of nectar for adults and food for caterpillars. This can sustain year-round breeding of wild monarchs and lead to high transmission of a debilitating protozoan pathogen called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE). In this webinar, researchers who have studied monarchs, OE and tropical milkweed in the laboratory and field will discuss (1) how tropical milkweed leads to the formation of resident (non-migratory) monarch populations in the southern US, and (2) consequences of this behavior for pathogen transmission, monarch migration, and mixing between resident and migrant monarchs. The presenters will also explore options for managing tropical milkweed gardens, and other ways to support monarchs conservation.
Dr. Sonia Altizer, Professor & Associate Dean of Academic Affairs University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology; Ania Majewska, Ph.D. and Dara Satterfield, candidates University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology
June 16, 2016
60 minutes
Though most are familiar with the large populations of monarchs in the eastern US that travel to Mexico each fall, monarchs in the western US – including those that migrate annually to the California Coast – have received far less attention. In the western US, the Xerces Society is working to identify, protect, manage, and restore monarch breeding and overwintering habitat through conducting and engaging citizen scientists in applied research, developing habitat management technical guidance, and advocacy. This webinar will provide an overview of the biology, life history, and conservation status of monarchs in the western US, including factors that may be contributing to the observed population decline at California overwintering sites. The webinar will also review current conservation efforts of the Xerces Society and partners, including habitat management and enhancement efforts, applied research, and citizen science programs in monarch natal, migratory, and overwintering habitats of the West.
Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
February 28, 2016
63 Minutes
Urban habitat conservation is critical to the success of monarch butterflies. Creating habitat in the urban setting will ensure that the butterflies have a place to stop on their migration journey. In this 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, will share a case study of the Milkweeds for Monarchs (M4M) program in the city of St. Louis, MO. The M4M program is an urban ecological effort of the city and its partners to connect people to nature while providing habitat for the monarch butterfly and its caterpillars. Not only is the M4M program creating habitat within the City of St. Louis, it is a part of a larger effort to conserve the monarch butterfly and other pollinators in urban areas in the Eastern United States. Participants will learn how they might be able to start a similar program in their urban community.
Cortney Solum, the Visitor Services Manager at Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge and part of the City of St. Louis’ Milkweeds for Monarchs team. Kristin Shaw, the Coordinator of the Ecological Places in Cities (EPIC), a practitioner’s network within the Eastern Tallgrass and Big Rivers and Upper Midwest Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperatives geographies. Catherine Werner, the Sustainability Director at the St. Louis Mayor’s Office and Lead for Milkweeds for Monarch Program.
July 16, 2015
55 minutes
Monarch citizen science has been critical to our understanding of this iconic species. Four main programs will be covered in-depth in this webinar, representing multiple aspects of monarch biology. These include 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.
Sonia Altizer, Professor at the University of Georgia
April 30, 2015
72 Minutes
Do you want to engage and educate the public about the value of your Waystation and pollinator gardens? Interpretive and educational signage is very valuable in communicating the importance of why it is important to create monarch and other pollinator habitat, but the task of designing, creating, and installing attractive and durable outdoor signs is daunting for many. This webinar will provide valuable information on how to design and create outdoor signs. Topics will cover sign types and styles, relative costs of types of signs, examples of effective sign layout and design, recommendations for materials choices, suggestions for how to work with a professional sign company, ideas for low-cost alternatives, and how to utilize in-house capacity and volunteer resources. Quality signage can make your waystation or pollinator garden appealing and interesting while serving the valuable purpose of educating the public on what your garden does and why it is important.
Rich Dolesh, National Recreation and Park Association, Angie Edwards, Fossil Industries, and Pete Carroll, MD National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Prince George’s County Maryland
February 23, 2017
63 Minutes
A well-designed seed mix is an essential component of any native habitat restoration project. The seeds we use in each mix ultimately define the character of restored vegetation, and determine how well a restoration project can meet its goals. In this webinar, we’ll cover the basic principles of seed mix design, review some of the tools currently available for designing seed mixes, and walk through several design examples using the Tallgrass Prairie Center’s Iowa Prairie Seed Calculator. The [Iowa Prairie Seed Calculator]((http://www.jamess.com/IowaPrairieSeedCalculator-D2/) incorporates the core concepts of seed mix design with a user-friendly interface, taking seeding method, planting time, and planting site conditions into account to produce an ecologically appropriate seed mix ready to send to commercial seed producers.
Justin Meissen, Tallgrass Prairie Center Research and Restoration Program
February 16, 2017
64 Minutes
Join Monarch Joint Venture Education Coordinator for an overview of how monarchs can be used as an education tool in classrooms and informal settings year round. Monarchs’ inherent charisma make them an ideal organism to focus lessons and activities on in order to engage with students and a broad array of audiences. This webinar will touch on various lessons, activities and curricula available from Monarch Joint Venture partners for you to use in your monarch education and outreach opportunities.
Katie-Lyn Bunney, Monarch Joint Venture Education Coordinator
September 24, 2019
59 Minutes
In this webinar, a panel of presenters will share techniques and case studies for enhancing existing habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Topics will 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.
Greg Hoch, Mary Byrne, Vicki Wojcik, Kristine Nemec and Chip Taylor
April 23, 2015
78 Minutes
Thelma Redick will discuss the business case for support monarch conservation, exploring how businesses work with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) to incorporate conservation into business operations, corporate citizenship initiatives and business management targets. Several quick-fire case studies will introduce the breadth of project types implemented by WHC members, across sectors and with varying resource availability. Susan Kelsey, will then take a deep dive into how GM, a long-time member of the Wildlife Habitat Council, monarch habitat a priority among their suite of pollinator projects in North America. With more than seventy certified programs world-wide, GM has used very effectively used monarch habitat as one way to engage employees and community, enhance habitat, and link to local, regional and national ecological initiatives. Iris Caldwell will then provide an overview of how organizations in the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group are approaching monarch habitat conservation, also featuring a couple of industry case studies.
Iris Caldwell, Energy Resources Center, Thelma Redick, Wildlife Habitat Council and Susan Kelsey, GM
August 28, 2018
59 Minutes
As milkweed, the sole host plant for monarch butterflies, has diminished across the landscape, so have population numbers for the iconic butterfly. A broad scale effort involving many partners is needed to restore this habitat across North America to support monarchs and other wildlife. A key step in this process is increasing the availability of native milkweed plant materials, including seeds and plugs. In this webinar you will learn about regional native milkweed plant material needs, seed collection, processing, storage, stratification, germination, transplantation to plug cell, growing out, control of pests with biological control methods, site preparation, planting, watering and monitoring to determine survival rates. From backyard gardeners to large scale native plant producers, everyone has a role to play in supporting monarch habitat across North America. The focus of this webinar will be producing milkweed host plants, but other native nectar plants are also essential in supporting the monarch migration.
Dr. Chip Taylor, Founder and Director, Monarch Watch
March 23, 2016
62 Minutes
This webinar will examine the step-by-step procedures for designing, installing, and managing native plant communities specifically designed for monarch breeding. Among the topics to be explored are initial planning considerations, formulating seed mixes, site preparation and weed abatement, and long-term land management practices. Real world case studies will be provided, and successful approaches in multiple eco-regions will be described.
Eric Lee-Mäder, the Pollinator Conservation Program Co-Director at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
February 12, 2015
79 Minutes
Does the prospect of picking weeds out of a failed pollinator planting leave you cold? You’re not alone! This webinar, delivered by the Keystone Monarch Collaborative and Monarch Joint Venture, will feature the real-world experiences of farmers establishing habitat adjacent to their working land. Pete Berthelsen brings three decades worth of experience not only growing habitat himself but also consulting with landowners on the best establishment practices for their land. Josh Divan advises farmers on habitat establishment and Farm Bill programs, and his own family has used precision agriculture tools to identify areas that contribute more to their operational bottom line as habitat than as cropped acreage. This is the second of two webinars this summer for agricultural landowners and managers. The first on May 28th focused more broadly on the economic and ecological case for enhancing habitat adjacent to working lands and is now available to view as a recording.
Tracy McCleaf, Cora Lund Preston, Josh Divan, Peter S. Berthelsen and Jonathan Geurts
July 23, 2019
60 Minutes
Laura Lukens and Jennifer Thieme from the Monarch Joint Venture will discuss the goals, structure, and uses of the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP). The IMMP is a national initiative to capture information about both monarchs and their habitats across geographies and land use types. Data will be used to update population and habitat models, as well as inform how habitat conservation efforts may influence population and habitat dynamics. Viewers will learn how researchers, conservation professionals, and citizen scientists can use the IMMP to meet their own objectives and information needs.
Laura Lukens, Monarch Joint Venture National Monitoring Coordinator, and Jennifer Thieme, Monarch Joint Venture Regional Monitoring Coordinator
April 23, 2019
55 Minutes
Allison Cariveau, Science coordinator, Monarch Joint Venture
October 22, 2019
61 Minutes
This webinar will discuss establishing and maintaining native meadows in the eastern US. There is a growing movement in the eastern US to convert lawn to meadows, even small backyard plots, for pollinator and wildlife habitat. There are many methods to accomplish the conversion from killing the existing vegetation and reseeding to the slower regime of yearly mowing and inter-planting with perennials. Both methods and meadow maintenance needs will be discussed.
Larry Weaner, founder and principal of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, and Ann Aldrich, past Restoration Director for Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy
July 24, 2018
68 Minutes
You will learn about the amazing monarch butterflies and their unique long-distance migration. From their milkweed host plants to parasitoids that ail them, we will explore the complex life history of the species. In addition, you will learn how to get involved in your own school or backyard to help monarchs, and benefit many other wildlife species at the same time! Listen carefully, and don’t forget to take notes; we will have a few pop quiz questions throughout the webinar!
Cathy Downs (Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas) and Karen Oberhauser (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab)
October 4, 2016
68 Minutes
Monarchs need milkweed! Collecting native milkweed seed is a cost-effective way to get local ecotype seeds for use in restoration projects. In this webinar, you’ll get an overview of milkweed seed collection, including a primer on native plants, tips and tricks for harvesting, storing and growing milkweed seed, and how you can participate in the Monarch Watch Milkweed Market to contribute to milkweed planting on a large scale. If you want to learn about how begin or improve your milkweed seed collection efforts, this is the webinar for you!
Hal Mann, President, Wild Ones Oak Openings Region Chapter, Bob Huffman, Seed Manager, Prairie Restorations Inc., Angie Babbit, Communications Coordinator, and Dena Podrebarac, Milkweed Grant Coordinator, of Monarch Watch
June 26, 2018
58 Minutes
Tremendous amounts of habitat have been lost throughout the monarchs’ range, primarily due to development and changing agricultural practices. While it may not be possible to restore the habitat that was lost in its entirety, there are many opportunities to enhance and restore habitat for monarchs and pollinators in marginal areas, such as roadsides. While mortality of these insects by vehicle collisions is a concern for many, it is thought that the benefits of roadside habitats outweigh the costs. This webinar will include background information on monarchs and pollinators in roadside habitats, key findings from a study of milkweed and monarch surveys along roadsides, and case studies and opportunities for Departments of Transportation.
Dr. Karen Oberhauser (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab), Kyle Kasten (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab), Jennifer Hopwood (Xerces Society) and Ken Graeve (Minnesota Department of Transportation)
August 31, 2016
64 Minutes
From egg to adult, monarchs undergo a fascinating metamorphosis. The life cycle of monarchs is well known and inspirational, making these iconic insects ideal for research and science education. However, habitat loss and other threats are endangering this majestic creature. You will gain a greater understanding of the monarch’s life cycle, biology, as well as their incredible journey across North America to overwintering sites in Mexico and California each year.
Dr. Karen Oberhauser, a Professor in the Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota
December 17, 2015
57 Minutes
Dr. Chip Taylor from Monarch Watch will describe a stage specific model for monarch population development based on years of studying the responses of the monarch population to temperature, rainfall/drought from the time the returning monarchs enter Texas to the end of the fall migration in December. The model is based on timing and numbers combined with an attempt to understand the optimal physical conditions that favor monarch reproduction and survival. The intent is to create a model that will enable us to predict the size of the fall migration and the overwintering population.
Cora Lund Preston and Dr. Chip Taylor from Monarch Watch
March 19, 2019
60 Minutes
Greg Mitchell from Environment Canada joins us to talk about the listing decision for monarchs in Canada, how they fund stewardship projects, and the conservation research in which he is currently involved.
Greg Mitchell, Environment and Climate Change Canada
June 23, 2020
62 Minutes
Monarch conservation will require the involvement of the governments, non-government organizations, and citizens of all three North American countries. It will also require that limited resources are spent in ways that are most likely to help monarchs. Monarch biologists, habitat conservation practitioners, and landscape scientists have been meeting for over two years to create a blueprint for ensuring that monarch conservation strategies are based on our best available science. This group has worked to create a target for monarch population numbers that will minimize risks of extinction, develop regional priorities for habitat protection and restoration, and identify the most important risks to monarch populations. In this webinar, we’ll summarize the work of the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership, ending with concrete suggestions for local, regional, and continental action.
Dr. Karen Oberhauser, University of Minnesota Monarch Lab; Ryan Drum, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Wayne Thogmartin, United States Geological Survey; and Holly Holt, Monarch Joint Venture
May 26, 2016
78 Minutes
In support of the USGS’ Monarch Conservation Science Partnership, Jason Rohweder and Wayne Thogmartin developed desktop decision support tools to help in conservation planning for the imperiled monarch butterfly. Desktop tools were developed that allow users to prioritize counties within the conterminous United States according to multiple input criteria important for monarch butterfly conservation. Additional tools were developed to model the anticipated number of milkweeds on the landscape based upon underlying land cover/land use characteristics. The user can alter the composition of these land cover/land use characteristics using a separate desktop tool to model gains and losses of milkweeds on the landscape under various conservation scenarios. The tools are available online
Jason Rohweder, USGS-Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and Dr. Holly Holt, Monarch Joint Venture Science Coordinator
May 26, 2016
46 Minutes
Interested in creating a monarch habitat garden? Want to participate or initiate community efforts to protect monarchs in your area? Creating habitat and getting others involved are two of the most important ways we can protect and conserve the monarch butterfly. Experts from Monarch Joint Venture partner organizations Wild Ones and the National Wildlife Federation will present their best practices for using these important conservation strategies. Donna VanBuecken of Wild Ones will discuss the basics of gardening and the major considerations to make your garden habitat sustainable and inviting for monarchs. Mary Phillips of the National Wildlife Federation will discuss community scale efforts highlighting their own success stories in engaging local communities in conservation.
Donna VanBuecken the Executive Director for Wild Ones, Mary Phillips the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife Campaign Manager and Patrick who leads the National Wildlife Federation’s volunteer programs and the NWF Community Wildlife Habitat program
August 13, 2015
53 Minutes
We know that monarchs are negatively impacted by many human activities, including habitat degradation and loss, pesticide use, climate change, vehicular collisions, invasive species, and pathogen spread. Due to this long list of factors that affect monarch populations, it is difficult to determine the contributions of any single factor to their dwindling numbers. In this webinar, we summarize the ways in which climate affects monarchs during all stages of their annual cycle of breeding, migrating, and overwintering. We’ll then review potential impacts of climate change on monarchs, summarizing a combination of lab and field studies, and modeling efforts. There will be plenty of time to ask questions, and we’ll provide links to published and online resources that will allow you to dig deeper into the fascinating topic of monarchs, weather, and climate.
Dr. Kelly Nail (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, US Fish and Wildlife Service) and Dr. Karen Oberhauser (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, Monarch Joint Venture)
December 15, 2016
61 Minutes
Every corner of the landscape that the monarch butterfly navigates is shaped, to some degree, by humans. While this has resulted in a variety of obstacles for monarchs, people are striving to create or maintain habitat for these charismatic creatures. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Field Museum’s Keller Science Action Center have been working to understand the social, political, and economic factors that produce environmental threats, and foster those that benefit monarchs and their habitats. In this webinar, USFWS Human Dimensions Team Lead Christine Browne will explain how these factors within the socio-ecological systems have been identified and considered in the development of conservation strategies, and Field Museum Social Scientist Lex Winter will share research on how these factors play out on the ground in urban and suburban areas in the Midwest.
Tracy McCleaf, Cora Lund Preston, Dr. Christine Browne and Lex Winter
June 25, 2019
70 Minutes
Webinar Description: Drs. Karen Oberhauser and Sonia Altizer will describe how monarchs interact with dozens of other species in diverse ecological communities through pollination, herbivory, competition, and as hosts or as prey to natural enemies. Monarchs are famous for sequestering toxins from their milkweed host plants, which protects them against some natural enemies. Despite this protection, monarchs can fall prey to predators, parasites, and pathogens at all stages of their life cycle. In fact, scientists estimate that only 5% of monarchs survive from egg to the adult stage in natural populations, in large part due to natural enemies. In this webinar, we tour the incredible diversity of animals and microbes that interact with monarchs in the wild. These agents can exert significant pressure on wild monarch populations, and have shaped monarch morphology, chemical defense, and possibly even their amazing migration. Human rearing of monarchs can protect them from some enemy attacks, but captive conditions and crowding can also expose monarchs to new threats. Because many predators and parasites are part of monarch’s natural ecology, it is important to protect and restore the diverse ecological communities that monarchs are a part of. Finally, this webinar will provide ideas for how you can think beyond monarchs as a single species, and engage with and conserve their remarkable community.
Dr. Karen Oberhauser, Professor and Director of the UW-Arboretum and Dr. Sonia Altizer, UGA Athletic Association Professor of Ecology
March 26, 2019
71 Minutes
Monarchs In The Rough was initiated in 2017 through a partnership between Audubon International and the Environmental Defense Fund to work with golf courses to plant & protect monarch habitat. Additional sponsors and grant funding was received to scale conservation up to the landscape then continental level.
In recent years, many companies and other entities have undertaken promotional seed distribution programs intended to benefit pollinators. However, information pertaining to the actual planting and subsequent success of plants is lacking for native seed distribution efforts. There is a dearth of quantifiable metrics that demonstrate plant growth or what response the intended target species group (i.e., bees or butterflies) have had as a result of any new habitat which is created. The assumption by many is that seed packets or larger quantities are installed and properly cared for to ensure germination and husbandry of the plants through to successful establishment. Furthermore, few (if any) activities have focused on long-term maintenance of sites to ensure continued benefit if it exists in the first place. A novel aspect of this work is bringing the golf sector into pollinator conservation in a coordinated way which has the personnel and financial resources required to manage a site into the future.
Marcus Gray - Audubon International
February 25, 2020
60 Minutes
Monarch overwintering experts from both eastern and western populations of monarchs will discuss the ins and outs of monarch overwintering behavior, biology and migration. Monarchs are unique in the insect world for their long distance multi-generational migration and their incredible numbers in the oyamel fir forests of Mexico and scattered groves along California’s Pacific coast. Learn about the “Goldilocks” conditions which make these forests just right for overwintering and what monarchs need to survive this season. Also, learn about the threats that these important forests (and the monarchs who rely on them) face and the questions left unanswered about monarch migration. Plus take a sneak peek at all the different ways humans try to count thousands and millions of monarchs each year!
Emma Pelton (Xerces Society) and Dr. Pablo Jaramillo (Monarch Butterfly Fund)
January 26, 2017
67 Minutes
Most parasitoids are tiny wasps and flies that reproduce by laying eggs on or inside of other insects. Those offspring develop by eating the host from the inside, eventually killing it. Parasitoids lead lifestyles that may seem alien to us, but they are an extremely diverse and important part of our ecosystems. Almost every species of herbivorous insect can become a host for at least one, but sometimes dozens, of species of parasitoids. Even chemically defended monarch butterfly caterpillars and chrysalides are not immune to parasitoids. PhD Candidate Carl Stenoien from the UMN Monarch Lab will discuss recent research on a tiny parasitoid wasp, Pteromalus cassotis, that preys on monarch pupae. Dane Elmquist, former assistant program coordinator for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, will discuss new discoveries of interactions between monarch larvae and tachinid flies. Many of these findings were made possible by monarch citizen scientists.
Carl Stenoien (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab) and Dane Elmquist (University of Minnesota Monarch Lab and Monarch Larva Monitoring Project)
March 23, 2017
63 Minutes
Join Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Lincoln Brower, and Dr. Karen Oberhauser in this advanced topics webinar about monarch research. You will 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. You will also get a short overview about the new monarch book, titled Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly.
Sonia Altizer, Professor at the University of Georgia and Karen Oberhauser, Professor at the University of Minnesota and Lincoln Brower, distinguished Service Professor of Zoology Emeritus for the University of Florida
May 21, 2015
69 Minutes
A big picture perspective on monarch conservation by MJV Coordinator, Wendy Caldwell. Wendy will describe the conservation goals for monarchs in North America and a broad scale approach for engaging partners to help achieve those goals. From the perspective of the national Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan, she will illustrate how efforts across scales and topics are integrating for improved success in species recovery. Creating habitat for monarchs, other pollinators, wildlife and ecosystem services is a primary outcome of a broader strategy to engage, educate, and inspire new conservationists. Everyone has a role to play in protecting the monarch migration. This webinar will cover how MJV’s implementation pillars (habitat creation, research/monitoring, and education/outreach) work together to help us achieve our monarch and habitat targets.
Wendy Caldwell
February 27, 2018
59 Minutes
Like the Monarch Butterfly, more than one-third of America’s fish and wildlife species are now at risk of extinction. In the United States alone, more than 1,600 species are already listed under the Endangered Species Act, another 150 are presumed extinct, and state wildlife agencies have identified more than 12,000 Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, federal legislation to create an almost $1.4 billion annual fund for states and tribes, will focus on proactive conservation actions to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered as well as help recover those already endangered. It will be the most significant investment in wildlife since the creation of the ESA. The Monarch Butterfly is a prime example of a species in dire need of proactive conservation action. This bill would provide the much needed funds to do more habitat restoration, monitoring, research, education to help this butterfly in every part of our nation. The nationwide campaign to elevate the wildlife crisis and build a big tent coalition to ensure the bill’s passage needs the Monarch Joint Venture’s partners help!
Naomi Ederlson, National Wildlife Federation
March 24, 2020
57 Minutes
Two topics are covered. The first includes the migratory movements and overwintering site selection by Western Monarchs. The second is pesticide contamination of milkweed in California’s Central Valley, which may be a contributor to monarch decline.
Gail Morris (Southwest Monarch Study), Dr. Francis Villablanca (Monarch Alert/CalPoly) and Sarah Hoyle (The Xerces Society)
April 28, 2020
61 Minutes
This webinar will discuss the science and safety of photovoltaic solar and the growing trend of planting pollinator habitat under and around ground-mounted solar panels. In 2016 alone, nearly 2,500 acres of solar sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin were seeded with millions of native flowers and grasses including black-eyed susans, side-oats grama, purple prairie clover, butterfly milkweed, and calico aster.
Eric Udelhofen, development director from OneEnergy Renewables, Rob Davis, of 501(c)3 nonprofit Fresh Energy
April 6, 2017
61 Minutes
For many years the southwest United States was a monarch mystery, a place where monarchs were scarce and little known about their breeding and migration patterns. The Southwest Monarch Study opened new doors of understanding after tagging over 14,000 monarchs and monitoring breeding habitats across the region. This webinar will explore citizen science efforts primarily in Arizona but expanding to New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, the California deserts and western Colorado. Our results dispelled the earlier belief in a Rocky Mountain division in migration destination and also provided new information regarding abundant breeding habitats and small overwintering aggregations in the area. New monarch conservation partnerships working to expand habitats across the southwest will also be featured.
Gail Morris, Coordinator of the Southwest Monarch Study
April 28, 2016
56 Minutes
The Monarch Collaborative is working to identify how partnerships in the farming and ranching community can support and enhance habitat for a sustainable monarch population. This webinar, Success Stories in Engaging the Agricultural Community in State Monarch Conservation Planning, will feature speakers from the Monarch Collaborative, the Iowa Monarch Consortium, and Missourians for Monarchs to provide learnings and tips on how to build a successful state plan that brings together the agricultural community with conservation partners in informing state plans and supporting the monarch butterfly. This webinar will also communicate success stories and lessons learned from where states are engaging agricultural partners in monarch conservation planning efforts; show why it’s important for agriculture groups to be involved, where and how they are involved, what worked to get them involved, and how they are communicating with growers and driving action in their states; and point grower organizations toward additional resources for learning more and getting involved.
Steve Bradbury, Iowa State University Wayne Fredericks, Iowa Soybean Association Aimee Hood, Monsanto Karen Kinkead, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Susan Kozak, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Brent Vandeloecht, Missouri Department of Conservation
March 27, 2018
61 Minutes
Dr. Jaret Daniels, University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History
December 17, 2019
60 Minutes
It goes without saying that preserving the monarch migration throughout North America will only be successful with the help of volunteers. Restoring habitat, planting milkweed and participating in citizen science are just a few of the ways that volunteers contribute to monarch conservation. Public lands managers, habitat managers, and researchers have an opportunity to engage a growing number of people aware of this issue as volunteers who can make lasting and important contributions. This webinar will highlight some best practices for agencies and non-profit organizations working with volunteers. You will learn new ways to utilize and recognize volunteers and new ways to give volunteers meaningful opportunities for citizen science and habitat enhancement. Volunteers are vital to restoring the monarch. Learn how you can inspire passion and commitment in your volunteers and achieve more than you ever thought possible with their help!
Rich Dolesh, National Recreation and Park Association Vice-President for Strategic Initiatives
May 22, 2018
60 Minutes
Ever felt like you struggled to establish high quality pollinator habitat or achieve the results you envisioned? This presentation will cover the three most important considerations that will determine your habitat project success and the long-term benefits of the project. This presentation will provide specific habitat recommendations from start to finish that help you produce the best results from your habitat efforts.
Peter Berthelsen, The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund, Partnership Coordinator
July 20, 2017
66 Minutes
How do monarch butterflies orient southwards during the fall migration in order to reach the overwintering sites in Mexico? How do monarchs re-orient during the spring remigration in order to return northwards? This webinar will provide an overview of how monarchs use various sensory-based orientation mechanisms for directionality. In particular, the webinar focuses on describing how monarchs employ two types of compasses that they can use to help guide them during migration, namely a time-compensated sun compass and an inclination-based magnetic compass. In addition to reviewing our basic knowledge of monarch navigation, this webinar will also describe how the use of these compasses by monarchs is potentially now under threat due to contemporary environmental stressors, such as climate change and sensory noise pollution.
Dr. Patrick Anthony Guerra, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cincinnati
August 31. 2017
60 Minutes
We often think of urban areas as dead zones for wildlife habitat. However, cities can play a surprising role in conserving monarchs and pollinators. In this webinar, we’ll hear success stories and how you can get involved in conserving monarchs in cities from the Field Museum’s Urban Monarch Conservation program, the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, and the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge.
Tracy McCleaf, Cora Lund Preston, Abigail Derby-Lewis and Patrick Fitzgerald
August 27, 2019
61 Minutes
Amanda Barth (Utah DNR), Cat Darst (USFWS), Iris Caldwell (University of IL-Chicago) and Steven Choy (USFWS)
June 18, 2020
89 Minutes
This webinar will explore the citizen science effort that tracks the California overwintering monarch population and will discuss the results from this year’s Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, a record low and a 99.4% decline.
Katie Hietala-Henschell, Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; Nick Stong, Education and Husbandry Programs Manager, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History; Emma Pelton, Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
February 26, 2019
57 Minues
From a few hundred records to nearly 50,000, over the last few years, the Xerces Society and partners have built an interactive, publicly accessible database of monarch and milkweed records across the western U.S. They use crowd-sourcing and existing databases as well as conducting coordinated field surveys and engaging citizen scientists to quickly fill information gaps about where and when monarchs and their habitat are found. The database has already been used to create and improve habitat suitability models for monarchs across seven states which are being incorporated into many conservation planning and monitoring efforts. Other uses of the database include the creation of region-specific nectar guides, a better understanding of where to (and not to) plant milkweed, and influencing the prioritization of on-the-ground restoration efforts. Help us keep gathering data and putting it to good use for western monarch conservation!
Emma Pelton, Conservation Biologist and Candace Fallon, Senior Conservation Biologist, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
November 27, 2018
61 Minutes
It doesn’t take a lot of space to make valuable habitat for monarch butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects that yields dividends for the agricultural landowner, as well. This webinar, delivered by the Keystone Monarch Collaborative, will make the economic and ecological case for establishing habitat adjacent to working farmland. Seth’s research and Wayne’s in-field expertise match hard numbers with hard-earned experience to convey the realities of managing for beneficial insects. They will point out several ways to get started, from maximizing the potential already embedded in field margins to pairing conservation programs with precision ag technology. Attendees can expect to leave with ways to access the locally specific resources they need to determine if habitat really does make sense on their land. This is the first of two webinars with the Keystone Monarch Collaborative this summer for agricultural landowners and managers. The second on July 23rd will dive into the trials and triumphs of those who have attempted to establish habitat plantings.
Jonathan Geurts, Senior Policy Manager Keystone Policy Center; Wayne Fredericks, Board Member, American Soybean Association; Seth Appelgate, Research Agronomist, Iowa State University Monarch Research Team; Jennifer Prenosil, Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist, Pheasants Forever
May 28, 2019
68 Minutes