We are pleased to share from Virginia Working Landscapes the launch of their brand-new Milkweed in Virginia: Identification Guide. While many are familiar with Common Milkweed and Butterfly Weed, did you know that Virginia is home to up to 14 different Milkweed species? This guide features six of the lesser-known species that you may come across in the landscape, helping you identify and appreciate the diversity of Milkweed varieties across the region! Click HERE to
Tag: monarch-butterflies
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Online Course: Community Science for Monarch Conservation
Community Science for Monarch Conservation is a free, self-paced online course from the Monarch Joint Venture designed to inspire and equip people to contribute to monarch butterfly conservation through community science. Hosted on the Monarch NECTAR Hub, this engaging 2 hour course features videos and downloadable resources from several community science organizations from across North America to guide participants in observing and reporting monarchs across all life stages. Offered by Monarch Joint Venture’s Monarch NECTAR Hub. Enroll online.
Taken from VMN – Bi-weekly Email, Tiffany Brown -
The Call of the South
Migrating Monarch on Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum). Photo taken at Montreal Botanical Garden by Rob Beaton.
As fall approaches, eastern monarch butterflies are beginning their migration southward in response to a combination of environmental cues. Shortening daylight hours, cooler temperatures, and the declining availability of nectar sources signal to the monarchs that it’s time to leave their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada. These changes indicate the approach of winter, when the cold would be fatal to the monarchs if they remained in the north. Instinctively, they start their journey toward the warmer climate of central Mexico, where they can find the ideal conditions to survive the winter months. This migration is a vital part of their life cycle, allowing them to find shelter in the oyamel fir forests of the Sierra Madre mountains until spring returns.
So get outside! Don’t miss the opportunity to see one of the greatest migrations on earth in action!
Read more about Monarch migration HERE.
Rob Beaton, Newsletter and Website Committee Chair
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Monarch Tagging and Release at Edith J. Carrier Arboretum
Saturday, August 31, 2024
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
FreeJoin us for an enchanting event at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum as we host a monarch butterfly tagging and release. Witness the beauty of these delicate creatures up close as we contribute to vital research and conservation efforts.
We invite participants of all ages! Join butterfly enthusiast and Virginia Master Naturalist Gail Napora for our Monarch Tagging and Release. Gail will journey with you through the life cycle of the butterfly with images, trace the route of migration from all points north to Mexico, then share the details of tagging as attendees help hold the butterflies and then release them.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of an inspiring moment in nature!
Meet on the Ernst Tree Terrace beside the Frances Plecker Education Center.Please call 540.568.3194 or email Katie Rankin at rankinkt@jmu.edu with any questions or concerns
Additional information about monarch tagging HERE
