January 2020

2019 Monarch Numbers

As of this writing, we haven’t received reports on monarch numbers in Mexico, but they have arrived. Reports from everyone who has been to the winter sanctuaries suggest that winter numbers will reflect the strong showing monarchs had in their northern breeding range. Many of us won’t soon forget the thrill of monitoring milkweed plants throughout the summer and seeing more eggs and larvae than we ’d seen for a decade; seeing roosts of hundreds and even thousands of monarchs as they began their journey southward in August and September; or tagging dozens or even hundreds of monarchs in a single day. Thanks to citizen scientists, these observations have now become part of the scientific record and will help us understand the factors that drove the good numbers in 2019.

One thing we do know, monarch numbers in 2018 and 2019 reflect their resilience; they were able to rebound from dismally low numbers earlier in the decade. Recent analyses document the importance of weather to monarchs, and both years had good monarch weather in the important spring and summer breeding periods, as well as no extreme weather events on the wintering sites. However, the same analyses also document the importance of the amount of available breeding habitat. We need to make sure that monarchs can find habitat in as large a geographic range as possible for the years when weather conditions are not so great.

We’ll all wait for the reports from Mexico with excitement, knowing that what we’re doing is helping to document and preserve the monarch migration. Thanks, and all the best for a wonderful new year and decade.

Monarch Gathering at Holy Wisdom Monastery

A Poem by Judy Cardin I followed our high flying guides Through the golds and purples of the autumn prairie Orange and ebony wings glowed in the evening sunlight And I yearned for their floating freedom They descended to a maple Heavy with browning leaves That opened in a surprise of orange Fluttering brightly as the newcomers arrived Then closing to the peace and safety Of the gatherings’ leafy disguise The song of survival draws them To prepare for flight to the unknown With wisdom beyond my frame I am wide eyed at the mystery and beauty And join them for a glorious moment In the rhythm and awe of life

Monarch larva on swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata. Photo by Sara Schiebner of Michigan.

New Monarch Research

Fall 2019 continued the summer trend of a lot of new monarch butterfly research. We ’ve summarized a few interesting new articles.

• Milkweed plants provide monarch larvae with a chemical defense in the form of cardenolides, which are best known for making monarchs unpalatable to some predators, like birds. New research has reinforced previous evidence that these chemicals may play a part in protecting monarch larvae from parasitoids, especially the parasitoid wasp, Pteromalus cassotis.

• The Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) is a national initiative to monitor monarch populations and habitat throughout the breeding range. A new paper details the development and implementation of this program, participation by citizen scientists, and its potential impact for monarch research and conservation.

• Minnesota researchers are interested in the effects of land management in prairies on adult monarchs. Their work showed higher abundances of monarchs in prairies that were burned, as opposed to prairies that were grazed. However, they suggest that there is much more work that needs to be done in understanding the effects of management practices on monarchs.

• Data from the Monarch Watch Tagging Program have been used in a paper that suggests the timing of monarch migration may have an impact on population sizes in Mexico.

Monarch Joint Venture Meeting Highlights By Karen Oberhauser

The Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) is a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and academic programs working together to protect the monarch migration across the United States. Every year, the MJV partnership meets at the home base of one of the partners. This year, those of us from the north were thrilled to escape early cold and snow to journey to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona on November 13-14. Speakers covered the conservation status of both eastern and western monarch populations, highlights of new research, on-the-ground conservation work, community engagement, and monarch partnerships. As usual, citizen science was in the spotlight. My presentation on the importance of citizen science to monarch conservation highlighted the contributions of the “Big 5” monarch citizen science projects—those with many years of data and large geographic coverage. Here’s a quick summary of these projects, and the sheer magnitude of what we’re learning, thanks to monarch citizen science volunteers.

• The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project started in 1996 at the University of Minnesota and is now jointly run by the Monarch Joint Venture and the UW-Madison Arboretum. 442 sites were monitored in 2019.

• Journey North started in 1994 and became a program of the UW-Madison Arboretum in 2019. While we don’t have final numbers for 2019 yet, there were 29,308 monarch observations in 2018.

• Project Monarch Health started in 2006 at the University of Georgia. 2019 numbers aren’t in yet, but 207 volunteers contributed 10,497 samples in 2018.

• Monarch Watch started in 1992 at the University of Kansas. 146,541 monarchs were tagged in 2017.

• The North American Butterfly Association started the 4th of July Butterfly Counts in 1975. In 2018 there were 372 official counts, and 2109 “Butterflies I’ve Seen” reports.

Participants of the 2019 Monarch Joint Venture Meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

Volunteer Spotlight: Brian Bockhahn, Regional Education Specialist with North Carolina State Parks

Note from Karen Oberhauser: Brian Bockhahn’s 18-year involvement with the MLMP (and so many other citizen science projects) has meant that hundreds of other people have been exposed to the wonders of monarch biology and citizen science. He represents a large contingent of environmental educators whose personal excitement about the natural world is transmitted so effectively to learners of all ages. It’s especially exciting that Brian combines education with scientific data collection in the monarch survival activity (which involves raising monarchs inside). I agree with him that rearing monarchs leads to personal learning and connections with the natural world, and am so happy that he’s chosen to use monarch rearing to add to our big picture understanding of population dynamics. It is gratifying that the workshop in Raleigh almost 19 years ago, which I remember well, played a role in Brian’s career as an outstanding environmental educator, and made him “a lifer, for sure.” And someday, I’d love to take a raptor yoga class!

How long have you been volunteering with the MLMP?

18 years.

How did you get started with the MLMP?

I attended a training by Karen in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2001 and began regular monitoring that next season.

Which activities do you do and which is your favorite?

I really like estimating monarch survival (Activity #3), as it has increased my understanding of the species and works great for education, festivals, and events. I love seeing my results on the website, but also being used in several research papers and studies.

What has motivated you to stay involved?

I have been lucky enough to be able to do some of this as part of my job with North Carolina State Parks. Involving interns, seasonal staff, and volunteers has really helped me stay committed, but I am a lifer for sure.

What has been your favorite part about being involved? Do you have a message that you would like to share?

I love teaching people about monarchs and other fantastic animals, and with pride I tell kids that part of my job is counting caterpillars.

Brian Bockhahn holding a tagged monarch.

Brian with other citizen scientists in North Carolina State Parks.

Have a monarch story or art to share? We’d love to hear from you!

info@mlmp.org | www.mlmp.org

Jessica Ross | UW-Madison Arboreum | 1207 Seminole Hwy | Madison WI 53711

What do you like to do when you aren’t volunteering with the MLMP?

I am fully immersed in the full monarch experience, with tagging through Monarch Watch and sampling through Monarch Health, but I also do bird counts, butterfly counts, moth nights, box turtle mark recapture surveys, bio blitzes, and much more. For nearly all these activities I teach instructor workshops for my state park staff and other agencies. As an educator I have come up with dozens of activities and games to teach about critters, everything from Raptor Yoga, migration games, caterpillar races, and shadow puppet shows. I currently work with the North Carolina Biodiversity Project, where I am in charge of the spider database and have contributed data to others.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Several years back I got married and we had a monarch butterfly themed wedding. Decorations, invitations, toasting glasses, etc., but the real topper was our cake topper- a bride and groom holding hands while the groom chases a monarch with a net!

2019 Volunteer Honor Roll

2019 was another year of record-breaking numbers for the MLMP. This year, 542 volunteers reported data, the most we’ve ever had! We had participants in 39 states and in both Mexico and Canada. The states with the most volunteers were Minnesota (105), Wisconsin (55), and Michigan (47). Thank you to everyone who participated this year and to our long-term volunteers. You have all helped to improve our understanding of monarchs and support their conservation. For the following 69 people, 2019 represented at least their 5th year of monitoring.

24 years Gayle Steffy (PA) Karen Oberhauser (MN and WI) Pete and Sanny Oberhauser (WI) 23 years Susan Jamison (MI) 21 years Barbara Powers (VT) Susan Payant (MI) 20 years Jan and Dexter Sharp (WI) Sharon Duerkop (WI) 19 years Kip Kiphart (TX) 18 years Brian Bockhahn (NC) Cathy Fergen (NC) Ilse Gebhard (MI) Jessica Miller (WI) 17 years Judy Brupbacher (TX) Laura Molenaar (MN) Tim, Jan, and Colin King (MN) 16 years Denny Brooks (MI) Maureen Clark (NY) Sondra Cabell (IA) 15 years Five Rivers Staff (NY) Karl Pauli (VA)

14 years Tim Vargo (WI) 13 years Albert Eurs (CA) Debi Nitka (WI) Virginia de Wolf (TX) 12 years Fred Kelley (AL) Meg Plona (OH) Shana McMillan (MI) 11 years Janet Allen (NY) Michael Blassey and Catherine McGol-drick (MN) Myrna Langford (TX) 10 years Janice Wick (MI) John Pleasants (IA) 9 years Gabi Hughes (PA) 8 years Betsy Yankowiak (IN) Elaine Tucker (MN) Lauren Forster (PA) Mary Warden (MN) Sara Paulsen (TX) 7 years Gail Walter (MI) Mobi Warren (TX) Rheda Boardman (TX) Susan Meyers (GA)

6 years Bess Tsaouse and Kuma Takamura (MN) Amy Yarger (CO) Candy Sarikonda (OH) Darrell Meyer (MN) Jean Greeley (NJ) Linda Murphy (PA) Lisa Duke (MI) Sandee Gould (MN) Sue Roderus (SC) Trudie Henninger (NC) 5 years Diane Levesque (OK) Donna Taylor (TX) Jason St. Sauver (NE) Karen Hicks (AR) Karen Karis (MN) Katy Gillispie (MN) Krystin Dozier (CA) Lynne Sinclair (Manitoba) Marlene Haider (MN) Mary Lambright (GA) Megan McConnell (TX) Pam Steinhaus (IL) Pocahontas State Park Virginia Master Naturalists (VA) Stephen Bishop (TX) Terry Baker (CA) Tyler Baldwin (OH)

Brian’s monarch butterfly wedding cake topper.