Bridging Science and Conservation for Western Monarchs

I recently began leading the UC Davis component of a collaborative research project that brings together universities researchers, conservation organizations, and federal agencies to better understand western monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) breeding across the West. Effective conservation of at-risk species depends on managing habitat throughout their life cycle, which requires understanding phenology or 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 Department of Defense (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. . I coordinate surveys in California and Nevada while working with collaborators conducting the same standardized monitoring across other western regions. During each survey, we document monarch eggs, caterpillars, and pupae as evidence of breeding. These repeated observations will help build a clearer picture of when monarch reproduction occurs across different regions and 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.