Bamberger Ranch Preserve – Monarch Research Project

The Bamberger Ranch is launching a monarch butterfly research project and is seeking volunteers to assist in this endeavor.  This project will use the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) which is one of the partners of the Monarch Joint Venture, a national non-profit organization seeking to conserve monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

The first training session for volunteers will be an interactive, virtual training session with plenty of opportunities for questions and answers.  It will take place on May 21^st from 10 am to noon.  If you are interested, please let me know and I will forward the zoom meeting details when they become available. ONLINE SESSION APPROVED FOR AT CREDIT.

In the interim, you may wish to review the IMMP training videos and written materials to be more prepared for the above training session.  These videos can be found via the following link -> https://learn.monarchjointventure.org/ and you will need to create a free account to access these videos.  Viewing the videos entitled Site Selection, Plot Setup, and Site Description will be particularly useful.  Likewise, the same information is included in the IMMP Guidebook and it is estimated to take about 15 minutes to review these written materials.

The first field survey will occur the next day on May 22^nd from 8 am to (estimated) 4 pm.  Drew Neyland, Research Coordinator for the ranch, will be responsible for entering the data collected into the IMMP database.  Some recommended tools for the day include: snake boots; walking sticks; binoculars; clip boards; blooming plant field guides; water bottles; and a sack lunch.

Looking ahead, the second training session will be an in-person workshop at the ranch which will build upon the previous session and it is tentatively scheduled to occur during the third week in October.  Likewise, the second field survey will occur the following day.  More details about these activities in the fall will follow at a later date.