Monarch Monitoring

Description: 

Monarch Monitoring on the Mississippi Coast

To understand the monarch populations, community scientists collect data during all phases of the annual life cycle of monarch breeding, migrating, and overwintering. One of the best ways to increase conservation action in your community is by getting involved with a local project! By getting your community involved in monarch conservation, you become part of the international effort to protect the monarch migration for future generations. One of the simplest ways to contribute in monarch conservation is to grow and share the importance of growing native milkweed for breeding and nectaring plants for fall travelers. The Mississippi Master Naturalist Coastal Chapter office located in Biloxi, MS is a certified Monarch Waystation Program. This means the area provides shelter, food, and breeding resources for monarchs year-round. This project focuses on monarch education, restoring habitat for monarchs, and monitoring monarchs. This work will provide data for on-going and local monarch research led and coordinated by Dr. Holley Muraco. Check this segment with the latest on her monarch research efforts. 

For this project, Master Naturalsits will be:

• Creating habitat for monarchs 
• Spreading monarch education
• Tagging monarchs
• Monitoring habitat use by monarch caterpillar and adults

Master Naturalists interested in participating, please reach out to Mandy Rigsby for project updates and opportunities (m.rigsby@msstate.edu).

Project protocals and trainings are provided by the Monarch Joint Venture and Monarch Watch.