Pollinator Protection Fund

09/18/2026

A native garden does not have to be all or nothing.
If your family uses a lawn for running, falling down, kicking a soccer ball, or simply stretching out in the sun, keep the space that serves you.
Native plants can grow along the edges, beneath trees, on slopes, and in the quieter corners of the garden. Even a native border can offer food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
And despite what some people may think, a native garden does not have to look untidy. With thoughtful plant choices, clear borders, and a little care, it can feel intentional, welcoming, and beautifully connected to the surrounding landscape.
Make room for habitat. Make room for play. A garden can do both.

These are gardens that we created for a community in Newport Beach, California.

05/24/2026

Monarchs need our help to create habitat that supports them. This includes both native and non-native plantings to give a selection of nectar as monarchs are generalists when it comes to feeding. They like broad flowers that they can land upon to feed. Planting in groupings with plants that give a variety of bloom times works best. Avoiding plants treated with pesticides is important in keeping monarchs healthy.
🦋Did you know? 🦋 Monarch butterflies taste with their feet and will often return to a flower that they enjoy the taste of the nectar from. They have been studied and shown to remember their favorites!



https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1397780359059223&id=100064818157608&mibextid=wwXIfr

California agencies unveil statewide plan for western monarch conservation.

“Pollinators are essential to California grown foods like strawberries, grapes and almonds and agricultural production across the country. This report supports voluntary, science-based conservation across the landscape with a variety of partners — from national wildlife refuges and state parks to highways, farms and ranches. We are committed to working with the State of California and local communities to identify innovative opportunities that advance pollinator conservation, including for the iconic monarch butterfly." - Paul Souza, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Director.

Read more about the 2026 "Conservation Priorities for Western Monarchs in California" report in our comments.

Photo by Mike Glenn/USFWS

05/12/2026

Sign up here to join this interesting talk next week!
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/monarchconservationwebinarseries/event/2mcwsc/

Our next free webinar is one week from today!

Sara Dykman is the author of "Bicycling with Butterflies," a chronicle of her 10,201-mile bike ride following the monarch migration. Her forthcoming book about frogs (her first love) is proof that following your passion is more important than being an expert at the start.

Join us at 1 p.m. on May 19 to hear Sara's story. Find the link in the comments to sign up!

05/08/2026

The 2025 Monarch Research Review is now available!

The 2025 Monarch Research Review highlights 85 studies and reports added to our collective knowledge of monarch ecology, conservation, and management. From explorations of brain neurons to international collaborations, these works demonstrate the value that the monarch butterfly provides to our understanding of the natural and societal world.

Read the review at the link in the comments.

04/29/2026

Monarchs have left their overwintering sites and have begun to repopulate their breeding range for the spring and summer months, which means we'll start to see more monarch eggs, caterpillars, pupa, and butterflies. Let's take a closer look at the pupa stage, or chrysalis stage, of a monarch's life cycle.

A monarch will spend about 10 to 14 days as a pupa (chrysalis). When a monarch first pupates, shedding its exoskeleton as the chrysalis is revealed, the pupa is very soft, but it'll end up hardening. The pupa will start out a light-green color, but as the days progress, it'll turn transparent, and you'll start to see the butterfly within, getting ready to emerge.

In the featured image, you can start to see the outline of the monarch butterfly through the pupal cuticle. We've pointed out a few areas of the monarch butterfly (abdomen, wings, thorax, head) as well as parts of the chrysalis itself (spiracles, silk pad, cremaster).

04/23/2026

This lecture from Dr. Anurag Agrawal will provide a deep and beautiful exploration into the milkweeds in the genus Asclepias, focusing on the roughly 140 American species through the lenses of ecology, evolution, botany, and entomology.

This webinar will provide an immersive journey through the natural history of milkweed, touch on key biological adaptations, showcase hotspots of milkweed diversity, and more.

The information will be presented for a general audience, making the complex science of milkweed's biology and diversification accessible to anyone interested in the subject.

The webinar is at 1 p.m. CT on April 28.
Link in comments!

Our next free webinar is one week from today!

This lecture from Dr. Anurag Agrawal will provide a deep and beautiful exploration into the milkweeds in the genus Asclepias, focusing on the roughly 140 American species through the lenses of ecology, evolution, botany, and entomology.

This webinar will provide an immersive journey through the natural history of milkweed, touch on key biological adaptations, showcase hotspots of milkweed diversity, and more.

The information will be presented for a general audience, making the complex science of milkweed's biology and diversification accessible to anyone interested in the subject.

The webinar is at 1 p.m. CT on April 28.

Sign up to join us by clicking the link in the comments.