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, […]
In a report released this week from the World Wildlife Fund Mexico (WWF), scientists determined monarchs occupied 2.84 hectares in December 2021, a modest increase from the 2.10 hectares occupied in December 2020. The report notes the 35% increase in monarch butterfly overwintering population numbers between 2020 and 2021 gives some reason for hope given […]
One of the many requests the world makes to farmers and other land managers is restoring pollinator populations by implementing pollinator-friendly conservation practices on their lands. This month, we share a conservation principle that we hope lightens the burden on farm managers: simply stop mowing, at least during the month of May. Last year, we […]
The monarchs coming out of overwintering in Mexico have reached their breeding grounds in the southern U.S. and are nearing the end of life. Their offspring, the first generation of 2022 will soon continue the northward migration. Insect populations fluctuate with annual weather patterns and timing. Success for monarchs relies on well-timed and abundant resources, […]
There are a host of stewardship practices deployed by farmers throughout the year that boost crop health and yield while also protecting monarchs and other pollinators. One of those practices that bears particular attention during planting season is the proper management of treated seeds. The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship provides guidelines for managing treated […]
The western monarch population saw an extraordinary rebound in 2021, according to overwintering count totals recently released by the Xerces Society. The 2021 Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallied 247,237 monarchs, a significant increase from the previous year’s count, which came in at just under 2,000. The 2021 count is the highest tally since 2016 and […]
Signup for the 2022 General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) opens today, Jan. 31, and will run to March 11, 2022, according to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 to May 13, 2022. The Continuous CRP Signup remains ongoing. In 2021, USDA announced […]