Greetings Monarch Watchers!
Spring seems to have sprung a bit early across the U.S. and we know
many of you are anxious to hear how the monarchs fared over the
winter in Mexico (we've been anxious too!) - we have that news for
you and more this time around so please take a minute to read through
this brief newsletter and share it with anyone you think might be
interested. We have a number of other projects going right now and we
will posting a lot of new information via our blog
(http://monarchwatch.org) in the coming months so be sure to check in
from time to time :-)
Happy Spring!
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Monarch Population Status
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The size of the overwintering monarch population in Mexico is usually
released in late January or February. Early reporting helps all of us
plan for the season ahead. Unfortunately, for reasons that are not
clear, this report wasn't released to the press until the 15th of
March - at the end of the season and a week after the first monarchs
from Mexico had made their appearance in Texas.
The total for all colonies, as reported to the press, is 2.89
hectares. There is good news and bad news in this number. The good
news is that the population was larger, by almost a hectare, than we
expected. The bad news is that this number represents the 4th lowest
total for the monarch colonies recorded since the winter of
1994-1995. Further, this population represents a continuation of a
trend - the 8th consecutive population below the long term average.
For those interested, we have posted further discussion (with much
more detail) via our blog at http://monarchwatch.org/blog
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Spring Open House & Plant Fundraiser
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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Monarch Watch, Lawrence, KS
We're gearing up for another big Spring Open House & Plant Fundraiser
here at Monarch Watch. We will have more than 4,000 butterfly plants
(both annuals and perennials), including seedlings of at least nine
milkweed varieties. These plants are ideal for starting butterfly
gardens or adding to established gardens. Monarch numbers have been
declining and we need to plant milkweeds to sustain the monarch
migration. Modest contributions are suggested for the plants. A list
of available plants and complete details are now online at
http://monarchwatch.org/openhouse/
We'd love to see you here on Saturday, May 12th so mark your
calendars! If you can't make it in person, be sure to check us out
online - we plan to post photos and broadcast some LIVE video
throughout the day.
If you are planning on visiting from out of town (yes, many people
do), be aware that KU is holding graduation ceremonies the same
weekend (a week earlier than usual) so all of the lodging in Lawrence
is likely booked up. If you would like some suggestions please feel
free to drop us a line anytime.
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Monarch Recoveries
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We've received preliminary recovery reports of approximately 1,000
monarch tags this season and will update the online recovery database
as soon as we have received and checked all of the data. If you have
not yet returned your datasheets from last fall (or any tagging
season for that matter) please make a copy and send us the originals
as soon as possible.
Each year we spend valuable resources tracking down tag data for
recoveries - please help us conserve our limited resources by
submitting your tag data in a timely manner :-)
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Monarch Rearing Kits and Tagging Kits
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It's that time of year again - we are now accepting preorders for
Monarch Rearing Kits and Tagging Kits.
We will begin shipping Monarch Rearing Kits to people that want to
raise monarchs at home or in the classroom the first week of April.
As usual, Tagging Kits will be sent out in the fall (typically
beginning the last week of July) in time for the migration in your
area - please place your orders early as we will have a limited
number of tags and will definitely run out.
These items (and more) are available via the Monarch Watch Shop at
http://shop.monarchwatch.org - where each purchase helps support our
educational, conservation, and research programs. Thank you for your
interest and support!
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Monarch Watch Monarch Waystation Initiative
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As many of you know, "Monarch Waystations" are places that provide
resources necessary for monarchs to reproduce and sustain their
migration. Most of these habitats are simply specialized gardens at
homes, schools, businesses, zoos, nature centers, parks, and other
unused (or under used) plots of land.
Since we announced this initiative in 2005, more than 5,000 habitats
around the world have been registered with us as Monarch Waystations.
This is a certainly a good start, but we need to do more. In the
United States we are losing 6,000 acres per day to development - a
major contributing factor to the decline of monarch butterfly
populations. To assure a future for monarchs, conservation and
restoration of milkweeds needs to become a national priority.
By creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation you are contributing
to monarch conservation, an effort that will help assure the
preservation of the species and the continuation of the spectacular
monarch migration phenomenon.
Complete information is available at
http://monarchwatch.org/waystations/ and you can view the online
registry of all 5,000+ habitats at
http://monarchwatch.org/waystations/registry
Please consider establishing and registering a Monarch Waystation
this year and encourage others to do so as well - thank you!
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Wow - Another Record Breaking Month!
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As you may know, through our association with Amazon.com - and its
specialized stores: Endless (Shoes & Handbags); Amazon Wireless
(Mobile Phones); and Small Parts (Hardware Store) - your purchases
can help support Monarch Watch.
By using any of the links on our site at
http://monarchwatch.org/amazon to visit and shop at Amazon.com,
Endless.com, Amazon Wireless, or SmallParts.com, Monarch Watch will
receive a "commission" equal to a percentage of your purchase amount
(currently 4-15%). This applies to ANY purchase at Amazon's stores -
Apps, Books, Clothing, Electronics, Movies, Music, Office Supplies,
Shoes, Tools, Toys, etc.
December 2011 was another record breaking month for us in this regard
- a whopping 565 items were ordered using our links and these
purchases earned Monarch Watch $908.21 - wow! Our totals for 2011
were 2306 items ordered and $3610.33 earned - thank you!
Don't worry, using our links does not affect your pricing at all -
you'll be getting the same pricing as you would if you visited the
Amazon websites directly. Also, no personal information is tied to
purchases; that is, we do not know who made the purchases, only that
they were made via the link(s) from our site and therefore in support
of our program.
Please help us by spreading the word to friends, family, coworkers,
and any other shoppers you can think of - thank you for your
continued support!
Visit Amazon via Monarch Watch at http://monarchwatch.org/amazon
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About Monarch Watch
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Monarch Watch (http://monarchwatch.org) is a nonprofit education,
conservation, and research organization based at the University of
Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its
spectacular migration.
If you have any questions about this email or any of our programs
please feel free to contact us anytime.
Thank you for your continued interest and support!
Monarch Watch
http://monarchwatch.org
monarch@ku.edu
This e-mail may be reproduced, printed, or otherwise redistributed as
long as it is provided in full and without any modification. Requests
to do otherwise must be approved in writing by Monarch Watch.
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