VSP: 2024 Monarch Blitz July 26th through August 4th

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is back for its eighth edition from 26 July to 4 August 2024! The Blitz provides a unique opportunity for individuals and organizations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to join forces across international borders to safeguard this iconic North American species.

Since monarch butterflies and milkweed populations cover such an extensive portion of North America, the participation of volunteer community scientists is key for furthering our understanding of these species. In the context of climate change, the range of monarchs and milkweed is likely to be impacted, highlighting the need for gathering and analyzing robust, long-term data in order to better understand population and habitat trends.

For the 10-day period, the Monarch Blitz invites people from across North America to report monarch butterfly sightings, to find milkweed plants, and to look for monarch eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalises. To take part, simply go outdoors and share your monarch and milkweed observations with one of the participating community science programs indicated below.

In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that listing the monarch butterfly as an Endangered or Threatened species was warranted, but was precluded by higher-priority listing actions. According to Mara Koenig, a Public Affairs Specialist at USFWS, a settlement agreement requires the agency to submit a proposed rule to list the monarch, if still warranted, to the Federal Register by 4 December 2024.

Wendy Caldwell, Executive Director of the Monarch Joint Venture, shared her thoughts regarding their participation in this collaborative effort:

“The Blitz brings together thousands of community scientists from all across North America to gather invaluable data on monarch butterflies. As an organization leveraging the power of people and partnerships, the Monarch Joint Venture is proud to be a member of this unique collaborative conservation project”, Caldwell said.

With the conservation of the monarch butterfly gaining momentum across North America, now is the time for communities to go out into nature and take part in this initiative!

To take part in the Monarch Blitz, please share your observations through iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org) or any of these below:

• United States:
  • Journey North (journeynorth.org)
  • Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (mlmp.org)
  • Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper (monarchmilkweedmapper.org)
  • iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org)

For more information: http://www.cec.org/international-monarch-monitoring-blitz/

[VSP hours to be recorded in VMS under: “iNaturalist, eBird and Other Citizen Science: TMN Report Hours”]   Maximum 18 hours per day