Monarchs Archives - Farmers for Monarchs

International Union for Conservation of Nature Amends 2022 Classification of Monarch Butterfly, Lowers Alarm on its Threatened Status

Posted on October 30, 2023October 30, 2023

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a membership union of government and civil society organizations headquartered in Switzerland, has amended its classification of the monarch butterfly on its “Red List” of threatened species. The organization initially categorized the monarch as “endangered” in 2022 but last month decided to downgrade its threatened […]

Field reports

Final Monarch Listing Decision Timeline Among Topics Addressed at FFM Plenary Meeting

Posted on September 20, 2023September 21, 2023

Where are the monarchs now? The monarch migration is now moving through Iowa and has entered northern Kansas. By the week of September 25th they should reach central Oklahoma. The first monarchs usually reach the border with Mexico in the first week of October. Follow their migration at Journey North. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s […]

Monarchs

Landowners Enrolled in Voluntary Program for Monarchs Receive Protection

Posted on July 28, 2023September 20, 2023

Where are the monarchs now? The monarchs are in the middle of their second generation and in their northern breeding area. They will be laying their eggs over the next couple weeks. Those off-spring will form the super generation that will undertake the trek to Mexico. Follow their migration at Journey North. If you as […]

Monarchs

The Livelihood of both Farmers and Monarchs Threatened by a Changing Climate

Posted on June 19, 2023June 19, 2023

Today is the first day of Pollinator Week, an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. The theme of this year’s Pollinator Week is emphasizing the connections between climate and pollinators. Few individuals are as closely tied to the weather patterns as farmers. Farmers track temperature, […]

Field reports

Eastern Monarch Declines, Occupied Smaller Acreage of Overwintering Grounds in 2022

Posted on March 22, 2023March 23, 2023

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 […]

Getting Started

General Conservation Reserve Program Signup Opens Feb. 27

Posted on February 21, 2023February 21, 2023

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 […]

Field reports

Western Monarch Population Rebound Continues in 2022 but Winter Storms Could Impact Spring Breeding Population

Posted on February 1, 2023February 1, 2023

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 […]

Field reports

A Farmer’s Perspective on the Conservation Reserve Program

Posted on January 27, 2023

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 […]

Getting Started

Dormant Seeding: Letting Mother Nature Take the Lead

Posted on December 20, 2022December 20, 2022

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 […]

Field reports

Precision Agriculture and Habitat Establishment

Posted on December 7, 2022December 7, 2022

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 […]