Steer Clear of Milkweed, Monarch Friendly Mowing
Posted onAmong the most simple and effective measures farmers and landowners can take to conserve monarch butterfly populations is to follow best practices for mowing. When establishing habitat, or conducting management activities to keep the site healthy, mowing can be an important tool. Once habitat is well-established, mowing or prescribe burning every 3-5 years promotes healthy […]
Improvements in Fluency Agents, Deflectors Help Reduce Dust from Seed Treatments
Posted onSeed treatments, such as neonicotinoids, have been used by farmers for many years to help control early season insect pests and ensure a better crop. While seed treatments provide many benefits, their use poses a potential risk to nearby pollinators and other beneficial insects because of seed dust drifting from the site of planting. The […]
Don’t let Milkweed Myths keep you from Supporting Monarch Habitat
Posted onPopulations of the monarch butterfly remain low. The population east of the Rocky Mountains, which overwinters in Mexico, fell 53 percent from the previous year’s count. Those west of the Rockies, which overwinter in California, tallied in near last year’s record low just over 29,000 individuals. Habitat loss, particularly the loss of milkweed plants, which […]
Data Collection Critical in Monarch Listing Decision, Supporting Habitat
Posted onWhile the decision of whether the monarch butterfly should be listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act will not occur until this upcoming December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is currently gathering the information they need on nationwide conservation efforts to aid in their decision-making. To accomplish this, […]
Conservation Reserve Program Provides Unique Opportunity for Farmers Supporting Pollinator Habitat
Posted onThe February 28 deadline for open enrollment in the USDA Farm Service Agency Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is fast approaching in a year that will feature one of the largest program acreages ever offered to landowners in the United States. This post details specific ways farmers and landowners can enroll in certain programs that will […]
Urban Monarch Conservation Next Topic for Webinar Series
Posted onStrengthening monarch conservation in urban areas will be the topic of discussion in the next installment of the Monarch Conservation Webinar Series, a project hosted by the Monarch Joint Venture and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that provides education on monarch biology, monitoring, and conservation. Details for the upcoming webinar, including how to register, […]
HabiTally App Offers New, Interactive Opportunity to Assist Monarch Recovery
Posted onMonarch butterflies face many challenges that have contributed to a significant decline in their population over the last two decades. More breeding habitat and food resources, including milkweed and nectar sources, across the migration route will help monarch populations recover. HabiTally is a new app hosted by Iowa State University (ISU) that enables farmers, ranchers, […]
Webinars Aim to Support Agricultural Landowners and Managers
Posted onThe Monarch Joint Venture has partnered with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to host a series of webinars on monarch biology, monitoring, and conservation. The most recent webinar was entitled the Trials and Triumphs of Establishing Pollinator Habitat, and featured the real-world experiences of farmers establishing habitat adjacent to their working land. Presenters of […]
Monarch ESA Designation Decision Delayed Until 2020
Posted onThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced May 24 that it has extended the deadline to determine whether the monarch butterfly warrants federal protection under the Endangered Species Act to December 15, 2020.
Pork producers collaborate with Iowa researchers to benefit monarchs
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Ben Crawford, environmental services director for Prestage Farms of Iowa, is featured in a new video (linked below) about Iowa pork producers’ cooperation with researchers to plant and survey monarch habitat plots on their land. Hog farmers are collaborating with Iowa State University to provide more habitat for monarch butterflies through on-farm research projects. Since […]