Wanted: Volunteer Researchers for Monarch Larva Study

[Donald Davis]

Monarch Larval Monitoring Project Needs Volunteer Researchers

Volunteers from across North America are working with researchers at
the University of Minnesota to monitor monarch butterfly populations in
North America.
The Monarch Larval Monitoring Project is a citizen science project
coordinated by Michelle Prysby and Karen Oberhauser.  We are collecting
long-term data on larval monarch populations and milkweed habitat to
address questions such as:  (1) How do population densities fluctuate
throughout the monarch breeding season in North America?  (2) At what
larval stages does the highest mortality occur?  (3) What plant
qualities
affect female monarch host plant choice?  (4) What is the timing of
movement of reproductive monarchs throughout their breeding range?  (5)
How
does monarch recruitment vary with larval habitat size and degree of
disturbance?

Since the project began in 1997, over 80 volunteers have participated,
monitoring more than 40 sites in the United States and Canada.  We are
recruiting more volunteers for the 2000 season, and invite you to join
our
team.

First and foremost, volunteers must have an interest in monarch ecology
and
an enthusiasm for learning more!  Volunteers will choose a site with
milkweed and monitor it once a week throughout the time that milkweed is

present.  Sites may include backyards, roadsides, gardens, natural
areas,
old fields, etc.  The monitoring takes about 1-3 hours per week.  All
volunteers who commit to monitoring all season will receive basic
equipment
(field guides for identifying monarch larval instars and data sheets).

We will conduct three training workshops this Spring, and invite you to
join us to learn about basic monarch ecology, meet some live monarchs,
and
practice field techniques. The dates, times, and locations of the
workshops
are:

Saturday, June 10, 10 am-2 pm, Mosquito Hill Nature Center, New London,
Wisconsin  (for details, call Wanda DeWaard at 865-448-6709)

Saturday, May 20, 9 am-1 pm, Vermont Institute of Natural Science,
Woodstock, Vermont (for details, call Charmaine Kinton at 802-457-2779)

Sunday, May 21, 9 am-1 pm,  Vermont Institute of Natural Science,
Montpelier, Vermont
(for details, call the Institute at 802-229-6206)

Sunday, May 14, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Townsend,
Tennessee (for details, call the Center at 920-779-6433) (NOTE:  This
workshop is part of a Naturalists' Weekend.  The monarch workshop is
free,
but you may choose to pay a fee to attend other workshops during the
weekend and be provided with room and board.)

You do not have to attend a training workshop to participate in the
project, but we encourage you to attend if you can.  There is no cost
for
attending the workshops or participating in the project.  To register
for
the workshops, contact the coordinators listed above.  To sign up to be
a
volunteer monitorer, send an email to Michelle Prysby
<prys0004 at tc.umn.edu>.  For more information, visit our website
<www.monarchlab.umn.edu/MonitoringProject/MonitoringProject.htm>.

Monitoring directions and data sheets are available on the website.  We
hope to hear from you soon!

Michelle Prysby and Karen Oberhauser
Monarch Larval Monitoring Project Directors

Dr. Karen Oberhauser
University of Minnesota
Department of Ecology
1987 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul MN  55108
612 624-8706  fax: 612 624-6777
www.monarchlab.umn.edu