My Monarch Tagging Tale

Monarch Caterpillar Munching on Milkweed

Although it's almost a month into the migration along the east coast, here in Arizona we are about two to three weeks behind season. There are signs of caterpillars snacking on milkweed, their only food source. Soon butterflies will be gliding frequently through the air.

Me With My Butterfly Net

 You are invited to join me in experiencing the signs of butterflies through the tale of my first monarch tagging  adventure...

Who?

Adriane Grimaldi, a.k.a. the Monarch Ninja, is the Director of Education at Butterfly Wonderland, A Rainforest Experience in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was an awesome guide for this adventure, and led our group of monarch (and butterflies in general) enthusiasts.

A Monarch and its Corresponding Tag
http://monarchwatch.org/tagmig/tag.htm

What?

Monarch butterfly tagging! A planned event through Southwest Monarch Study, who conducts research about the migration and breeding habits of monarch butterflies in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. 

The Street-side Sunflower Wall

Where?

After meeting up at Milepost 14 (on Highway 83 in southern Arizona), which was conveniently hidden behind some plants…most of the road signs were conquered by the wall of sunflowers that grew along the side of the road... we trekked deep into the heart of the monarch's meadowland in Canelo. We got to cross a creek, explore the meadow, and ended our day with a group circle around the monarch mating tree, where the butterflies are known to return every year!

The Trek Through Monarch Territory

https://www.facebook.com/SouthwestMonarchStudy

When?

9-20-15…  a lovely but slightly warm day, a little too early in the morning (even the butterflies were still asleep!) The Southwest Monarch Study website that… “as the length of daylight shortens in mid August and September, monarchs in northern latitudes, i.e. near the Canadian border, begin to migrate. Monarchs farther south will begin their journey a few weeks later. Tagging and monitoring should begin in late August in all regions, with a concentrated effort made in September and early October.” Here is a table showing migration patterns in Arizona.

Why?

Why not! But seriously, tagging the butterflies is a way to collect data about their numbers, locations, and migration pathways, adding to what we know and understand about the monarchs.

How?

http://www.swmonarchs.org/tagging.php

My First Tagged Monarch!!!

* All Photos Taken By My Dad*

The Monarch Migration

In hindsight, I should have started this blog to coordinate with the beginning of the monarch migration. I am a little late so let's catch up. Every year, monarch butterflies complete a two-way migration over the course of multiple generations. At the end of summer, they fly from the northern US and Canada travelling mostly along the US East coast,overwinter in Mexico, and then head back north in the spring. There are also western migration routes, including ones that pass through Arizona, and some monarchs overwinter in southern California. Check out their migration on the map from a conservation status by Nature Serve and The Xerces Society.

  Jepsen, S., D. F. Schweitzer, B. Young, N. Sears, M. Ormes, and S. H. Black. 2015. Conservation Status and Ecology 

     of Monarchs in the United States. 36 pp. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, and the Xerces Society for

 Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, Oregon. 

Each year around mid-August a new generation of monarch butterflies is born and prepares for the trip. Although it may not seem like it here in Arizona, temperatures are dropping around the country. This environmental cue is saying one very important thing to the monarchs, "MIGRATE!" Earlier this month, the first monarch sightings were reported meaning that the migration has begun. Now monarchs will perform a task that no other known butterfly undergoes: making the long trip to Mexico. There are many road bumps they may hit along the way, and many landmarks ahead. With this blog, I will help you to experience the migration of the monarchs,and in the process share information about monarchs and ways to get involved in their conservation. Thank you for stopping by- more to come soon!