Earlier this year, EAC released our report on the western monarch butterfly, Marin’s Monarch Movement, and wanted to share some of the progress being made throughout the County.
Our report helped to inspire a working group who meets monthly to share and coordinate efforts to protect and support the population of western monarch butterflies. This forum is an important gathering place to share information and coordinate on projects. The meetings are currently attended by Mia Monroe, EAC, Marin Audubon, UC Master Gardeners, Marin RCD, Gold Ridge RCD (Sonoma County), Monarch Joint Venture, Environmental Forum of Marin, and individuals interested in helping to protect monarchs in their neighborhoods. If you are interested in joining the working group, please contact Morgan Patton at EAC for more information.
Partner Mia Monroe reported to the group that July is an important month for monarchs as the butterflies should have dispersed; and there is a flurry of information gathering from community science efforts to find out where they are, how many there are, and did they travel to the places we think they should be (like the Sierra Nevada Mountains). Individuals can help now by using community science applications to track monarchs in platforms like iNaturalist, Journey North, and North American Butterfly counts. Milkweed monitors are currently being trained by One Tam and will be out to count milkweed on public lands. The group discussed identification of milkweed stands throughout Marin on agricultural lands.
Monarch Joint Venture is compiling pollinator reseeding annuals and perennial mixes to distribute to 30+ farmers in the Bay Area region for planting in October. Locally, Sally Gale and Albert Straus are part of this program. Sally will receive milkweed and seed mixes to create pollinator habitat on her ranch in Chileno Valley and Albert Straus is receiving a seed mixture (since his ranch is within 5-miles of the coast and not appropriate habitat for milkweed).
In an effort to expand public education, we are happy to release two of EAC’s previously recorded webinars focused on the monarch butterfly that were filmed in March and April 2021. The UC Master Gardeners have created an information video about the western monarch butterfly and what you can do to help the butterfly populations in your backyard.
Check out these films and others to learn how you can learn more about the challenges the butterflies are facing and how you can help.
