Monarch butterflies are truly a marvel that baffled the science community for many years as to where these beautiful insects came from and went to each year. In 1940, Fred and Nora Urquhart made a giant leap forward in understanding the monarch migration journey by using small stickers with number codes to track their movement all the way from Canada to the forests of Michoacan, Mexico (wildcenter.org).
The efforts of these scientists and those that joined them in their efforts helped to form the organization Monarch Watch which undertakes the massive task of tagging and documenting the monarch butterfly population every year. Monarch Watch relies on citizens who care about the survival of the monarch butterfly and will contribute a small portion of their time to learning how to tag these insects for data collection. On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Missaukee Conservation District (MCD) will be hosting a no-cost workshop for anyone who would like to learn the proper technique for tagging monarch butterflies.
Demonstrations will be given by MCD staff regarding how to create butterfly nectar and proper net capturing methods. All supplies will be provided and participants will leave with their own monarch tagging kit so that they can put their new knowledge into immediate action. This workshop will be held at the Missaukee Ski Mountain located at 6500 W Walker Road, Lake City, from 8 to 10 a.
m. If you are unable to attend the event but would like to receive a no-cost monarch .