Eastern monarch populations saw a 22 percent decrease compared to last year, according to the annual survey released this week from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico. Monarch butterflies occupied 2.21 hectares, a drop from the 2.84 hectares they occupied last year. Because it is impossible to count each butterfly, the survey measures the area of […]
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. USDA did not announce the Grassland CRP signup yet but indicated it would be open in the coming weeks. The Continuous CRP Signup remains […]
The western monarch population continued its growth in 2022, according to overwintering count totals recently released by the Xerces Society. The 2022 Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallied 335,479 monarchs, an increase from the remarkable rebound from the previous year, which came in at nearly 250,000. The annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count surveyed 272 overwintering sites. According to the Xerces […]
Where are the monarchs now? The monarchs are now overwintering in forests at over 10,000 feet in Central Mexico. They will begin their journey back north at the end of February. Follow their migration at Journey North. The start of a new year brings another opportunity for farmers to enroll land in the Conservation Reserve […]
Farmers know managing land is a year-round endeavor, even during the cold winter months. Winter-like conditions leading to natural freeze and thaw cycles in many areas of the country provide a biological process for seed to work its way into the soil. That is why the winter months provide an ideal time for you to […]
Where are the monarchs now? The first monarchs arrived at their overwintering sites in Mexico on the first of November – just in time for the Day of the Dead the following day. The last of the monarchs in each migration usually reach the colonies by the first week of December. Once the butterflies are […]
Where are the monarchs now? Starting now, around the middle of August, butterflies from the northern part of the North American breeding range begin to migrate south. Seasonal conditions can advance or delay the timing of migration and resources available, so keep an eye out on the Journey North map to see when reports of […]
Farmers have successfully implemented sensible monarch conservation principles that also support productive agriculture and livestock operations. Pest management is an important part of those viable operations, which is why Farmers for Monarchs has written extensively about responsible pesticide use and shared steps producers can take to mitigate pesticide exposure for pollinators. We have now produced […]
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a membership union of government and civil society organizations headquartered in Switzerland, added the monarch butterfly to its “red list” of threatened species and categorized it as “endangered” — two steps from extinct, according to an article published today by the Associated Press. IUCN’s members work […]
The first generation of the northern migration have reached their colonization grounds. Follow their journey at Journey North. National Pollinator Week continues to steadily grow and garner more attention ever since its first designation back in 2008. Today it is an international celebration, promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, […]