Bridging Science and Conservation for Western Monarchs

I recently began work on a research project that brings together universities, conservation organizations, and federal agencies. Effective conservation of at-risk species depends on managing habitat throughout their life cycle, which requires understanding phenology—the timing of major life history events. For western monarchs, this means knowing when and where they breed across the West. This project project uses systematic surveys at DoD installations and nearby natural areas, conducted once a month (or about the time it takes for a monarch to complete one generation) throughout the breeding season. As part of this work, I will help document monarch eggs, caterpillars, and pupae during each survey as evidence of breeding phenology. These repeated observations will build a clearer picture of the seasonal rhythm of monarch reproduction across different habitats. The project is designed to give DoD land managers the data they need to integrate monarch conservation with training activities on military lands. By connecting ecological research with management decisions, it creates a framework for supporting monarchs while maintaining the operational needs of DoD landscapes.