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 This project tags and releases monarchs in the United States before their annual migration to Mexico in order to study their migration routes and species biology as well as monitor the overall population numbers. The tags are then collected by locals in Mexico once the monarchs arrive. The program pays a small fee to those collecting the tags as incentive to return them to the program so that the data can be collected.
The project’s focus for 2005 was buying back all the monarch tags still in Mexico from '01 and '03 (from spring storms in '02 & '04, respectively). It is believed there are about 2400 tags ($12,000 worth) that have been collected but haven't been bought back.
The other big focus of Monarch Watch is on developing a new Monarch Waystation Program. The purpose of this program is to develop habitat conservation awareness and to promote monarch conservation by increasing the public's knowledge of what monarchs require when they migrate and during their reproductive months. The program encourages individuals, schools, zoos and nature centers to create their own monarch waystations. The Zoo contributed $500 to this project. Staff champion for this project is Cathy Schlegel, Tropics Zookeeper.
Photo courtesy of Monarch Watch |