Wild for Monarchs Presentation.ppt

Wild
For
Monarchs

Photo by
Judy Kesser

Wild for Monarchs

Speaker Information Chapter information

Wild Ones Mission

To promote environmentally
sound landscaping practices to
preserve biodiversity through

the preservation, restoration
and establishment of native
plant communities. Wild Ones
is a not-for-profit environmental

education and advocacy
organization.

Photo by
Judy Kesser

Why Native Plants?

• Vigorous and hardy Photo by
Judy Kesser
• Adapted to the region and local
weather

• Co-evolved with native butterflies

• Support butterfly life cycles as a food
source for caterpillars

• Better nectar source; some cultivars
offer no nectar

• Preferred food source for native
wildlife; supports local food webs

• Reduces habitat fragmentation

• Deep rooted species reduce erosion

Wild Ones Photo
Judy Kesser
has joined with
Monarch Joint Go Wild for Monarchs and grow more
milkweed to help save America’s favorite
Venture and
Monarch Watch’s butterfly, the Monarch.

Bring Back the
Monarch program.

Special promotion
by Audubon-Toyota

TogetherGreen
program.

in collaboration with

Monarch Life Cycle

Photo Photo
Candy Sarikonda Judy Kesser

Monarch Larvae

Photo
Karen Oberhauser

Chrysalis Formation

Photos Candy Sarikonda

Eclosure

Photos Candy Sarikonda

Adult Monarchs

Male Female

Photo
Claire Kim

Alar Spots

Photo
Pam Wolfe



Western Monarch
Migration

From November to March,
the native forests of
California including
Monterey pines and
cypress provide shelter
for the monarchs, and the
introduced Australian
eucalyptus provide a
source for nectar and for
roosting.

Shrinking open space and Photo Candy Sarikonda
loss of floral resources
has led to the decline of Monarchs west of the Rockies migrate to
the Monarch population. many towns along California’s Central

Coast and down into Mexico to overwinter.

Eastern Population Trends

25

Total Area Occupied by Monarchs (Hectares) 20 20.97

15 11.12
12.61
9.05 9.35
10 5.77 5.56 7.54
7.81
6.67 4.02
5 5.92

0 4.61 5.06

2.83 2.19 2.89
1.92

Winter Season Total Area Occupied by Monarch Colonies
at Overwintering Sites in Mexico

Data from World Wildlife Fund - Mexico

Western Population Trends

1400000 Total Monarchs Counted 14000
1200000 12000
1000000 Average Number of 10000
Monarchs Counted Per Site
800000
Number of Monarchs Counted 600000 8000 Average Number of Monarchs
400000 Counted Per Site
200000 6000

0 4000

2000

0

1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Data credit: Monroe, Frey and Stevens 2012
Data from Xerces Society

Eastern Tagging was first used by
Monarch Dr. Fred and Norah Urquhart to
Migration find where the Monarchs
overwintered.
Photo
Natalie Miller Kenneth and Cathy Brugger
of Mexico City located the
first Mexican sanctuaries in
January 1975.

This amazing story is told in the
3-D movie, Flight of the Butterflies.

The Monarch Butterfly Source: C. Sarikonda, Monarch Watch
Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO

World Heritage Site in central
Mexico is the winter sanctuary for

most of the eastern population.

Overwintering
Monarchs cluster
on trunks of
Oyamel fir trees
(Abies religiosa)
in a moist, cool
mountain habitat
using southwest-
facing mountain
slopes at about
10,000 feet.

Photo Lincoln Brower, Sweet Briar College

Severe Weather Events Affect Survival

•A survey by Dr. Brower and 2002 Chris Kisiel with dead Monarchs
colleagues reported that Conejos Colony on Sierra Campanario
early in 2002, a storm
caused a 75% monarch
mortality in Mexico.

•Approx 195 million died in
this colony pictured here
with an estimated total loss
to be about 500 million from
all colonies.

Photo Lincoln Brower, Sweet Briar College

Threats to Monarchs in Mexico

Overwintering habitat is degraded by:

• Illegal logging
• Climate change
• Higher temperatures in Mexico stressing fir trees
• Scolytus beetles attacking stressed Oyamel fir trees

in Mexico’s Monarch Reserve
• Harsh winter storms that can kill monarchs

Threats to Monarchs in U.S.

Increasing spring/summer temperatures, droughts and stronger
storm events stress nectar and roosting sites throughout the range.

Habitat loss in U.S. Herbicide and Pesticide Use

• Development: 6,000 acres per • Spraying roadsides & fields
day=2.2million acres/year • Misconception that milkweed is

• Milkweed Reduction: intensive “weedy”
agriculture use with small field • Mosquito and gypsy moth
margins
control
• Milkweed Loss: 100 million acres
of herbicide-tolerant corn and Mowing when roadside
soy allows farmers to spray
indiscriminately milkweed and important nectar
plants are needed most.

Sources: Monarch Watch, KBB Recovery Plan

Geographic Natal Origins of Monarchs
on the Summer Breeding Range

1996-1997 Adapted from Wassenaar L I , Hobson K A PNAS
1998;95:15436-15439

Help Save the Monarch Migration
Plant Milkweed

Photo Chip Taylor

• Range: Mid and Photo Pam Wolfe
Eastern U.S.
Common Milkweed
• Used by most
overwintering (Asclepias syriaca)
monarchs

• Pale pink flowers;
large pods

• Honey scent

• Attracts many
pollinators

• Vigorous; spreads
by rhizomes into
large clumps

• Widespread, in 44 Photo Janet Allen
states of lower
U.S. Swamp Milkweed

• Deep pink flowers (A. incarnata)

• Prefers moist, rich
soil

• Monarch favorite

• Blooms feed many
pollinators

• Has fibrous roots;
can be divided or
transplanted
easily

• Widespread in US, Photo Chip Taylor
except far west
Butterfly-weed
• Long-blooming
showy flowers (A. tuberosa)

• Excellent nectar
source used by
many butterfly
species and
pollinators

• Prefers well-drained
soils; can be grown
in clay

• Drought tolerant

• North America from Photo Barbara Olson
Arizona to Florida,
north to Canada Whorled Milkweed

• White flowers in (A. verticillata)
early to mid-summer

• Single stemmed
small plant, narrow
whorled linear
leaves

• Full sun, black soil
prairies to sandy
soil or with
limestone gravel

• Where abundant,
nectar source for
many insects

• Stays green longer

• Native to Western Photo Bobby Gendron
U.S. and Canada

• Similar color as
common milkweed

• Clonal

• Full sun in full
range of soils

• Deep taproot;
propagated best
by seed

• Downy leaves

Showy Milkweed

(A. speciosa)

• Common in Photo
pastures, lower Monarch Watch
Midwest south to
Texas Green Antelopehorn

• Greenish flowers Milkweed (A. viridis)

• Key for 1st
generation
monarchs

• Prefers full sun,
open spaces with
low competition
and dry, limestone
based soils

• Mature seed pods Photo Kip Kiphart
curve upward like
horns Antelope horns Milkweed

• Grows in southwest (A. asperula)
U.S.

• Deep taproot; very
difficult to transplant

• Best grown from
seed, but hard to
germinate

• Full sun, rocky or
sandy soil

• Slow grower

Get Involved

• Be a butterfly advocate. See Photo by
wildones.org/learn/monarch JPuhdotyoKesser
for ideas.
Judy Kesser
• Help protect butterfly
habitats. Create habitats for butterflies
by growing native plants in
• Find out what’s planned for your yard and neighborhood,
your city, state and at your school and work, and
community. by promoting use in parks.

• Work with public officials.

Plant a Native Butterfly Garden

Plant milkweed and larval host Grow nectar plants that bloom
plants for other butterflies throughout the seasons

Photo Donna VanBuecken Photo Judy Kesser

Find a reputable native nursery for plants
and seeds from your area (local genotype)

Photo Denise Gehring Photo Pam Wolfe Photo Jan Hunter

Photo Bob Jacksy Photo Claire Kim Photo Bob Jacksy

Preferred Native Nectar Plants

Milkweed

 Phlox  Mountain Mint
 New Jersey Tea  Joe Pye Weed
 Bergamot  Coreopsis
 Buttonbush  Blackeyed Susan
 Wild indigo  Blazing Star
 Boneset  Ironweed
 Coneflowers  Sunflowers
 Vervain  Goldenrod
 Asters

Native nectar plants benefit many
butterflies and other pollinators.

Photo Photo
Jan Hunter Denise Gehring

Photo
Jan Hunter

Photo Photo Photo Photo
Jackie Riley Denise Gehring Jackie Riley Erin Vastag

Butterfly & Moth Native Host Plants

Plant specific host plants as food for caterpillars.

• Monarch: milkweeds • Pearl Crescent: asters
• Viceroy: willow, poplar
• Black Swallowtail: golden alexanders • Karner Blue, Grey Hairstreak Silvery
• E. Tiger Swallowtail: tulip poplar, Pearl: Wild Lupine

willow, cherry, birch • Painted, American Lady: thistle,
• Fritillaries: violets mallow, everlasting
• Spicebush Swallowtail: spicebush,
• Red Admiral, Comma, Question Mark:
sassafras nettles, hops
• Giant Swallowtail: prickly ash
• Silver spotted skipper: False Indigo • Luna moth: birch, hickory, sweet gum,
sumac, walnut

• Cecropia moth: willow, cherry, maple,
dogwood

Native Host Plants Invite Egg laying

Photo Photo
Denise Gehring Denise Gehring

Photo
Jonna McRury

Photos Art Weber Butterfly Egg Photo
Candy Sarikonda
Photos Art Weber

Register your Photo Photo Debi Nitka
butterfly garden Judy Kesser

or habitat
through Monarch

Watch as a
certified Monarch

Waystation.

If your butterfly garden or habitat is at least 75%
native plants, contact Wild Ones
for further recognition.

• Share your
knowledge and
enthusiasm!

• Teach others what
you have learned
in schools and
parks.

• Volunteer to help
monitor monarchs
and other butterfly
populations.

Photo
Denise Gehring

What You Can Do
to Help

Become a Citizen Scientist
to monitor Monarchs

It’s fun to do! Monitoring data is important for
butterfly research and conservation

Photo by Sheila Langer Photo by Sarah Kempke Photo by Wendy Caldwell

monarchjointventure.org

What are Monarch Photo
population trends? Betty Hall

What is driving the Citizen Science helps find
trends? answers to important

• Climate? conservation questions.
• Milkweed

availability?
• Predators?
• Parasites?
• Other factors?

Which milkweeds are
preferred?

Where should we
target our efforts?

Citizens from the Photo
US and Canada Monarch Watch
purchase Monarch
Watch “tags” that Monarch Watch
have a unique 6- Tagging Program
digit code and a toll-
free phone number
to call to report a
dead Monarch.

Tagging—How Does It Work?

The tag is entered and Photo by
cross-referenced in the Pam Wolfe
Monarch Watch
Recovery Database
against recovered tags
from the U.S. and
Mexico.

Tagging -- • Tagging helps identify migration
what can we pathways, best monarch
production regions, and survival
learn? with latitude/longitude and date.

Photo • Researchers analyze tag recovery
Natalie Miller records to determine peak
migration dates for a given
latitude.

• Tagging can help document
changes in migratory behavior in
response to climate change.

Volunteers in this
monitoring
program:

• Estimate monarch Photo MLMP
densities
Monarch Larva
• Quantify milkweed Monitoring Project (MLMP)
quality

• Estimate parasitism

• Track weather

Monarch Larva
Monitoring Project Outcomes

Photo • Increased understanding of
Priya Shahani local ecosystems and how to
apply the data
Photo from MLMP
• Habitat Restoration & Land
Stewardship

• Support of Species
Conservation

• Environmental Advocacy

• Outreach and Education for
all ages

Photo MLMP

Monarch Joint Venture Vision

“The vision of this Joint Photo by Steven Munafo
Venture is abundant
Photo by Laura Molenaar
monarch populations that Photo by Barbara Powers
can be sustained into
perpetuity, and more Photo by Eliya Selhub
broadly to promote
monarchs as a flagship
species whose

conservation will sustain
habitats for pollinators
and other plants and
animals.”

Goals

Photo Dave Wendelken Photo Priya Shahani Photo Laura Molenaar

Habitat Education Research &
Conservation & Outreach Monitoring

Monarch Habitat Conservation

Photo Karen Oberhauser Photo Mike Meyers Photo Mike Meyers

Photo by Steven Munafo

Photo Pam Wolfe Photo Chip Taylor Photo Anne Rosenbaum

Education and Outreach

Photo Anne Rosenbaum Photo Laura Molenaar

Photo Gail Gilliland Photo Priya Shahani