Monarch Watch

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Monarch Watch Monarch Watch is an education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas
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Community Photo Spotlight! Thank you to Johnny from Pennsylvania for sharing this cool moment of a monarch getting ready...
10/16/2026

Community Photo Spotlight!

Thank you to Johnny from Pennsylvania for sharing this cool moment of a monarch getting ready to take flight!

Seen any tagged monarchs? Head to our website to report your sighting! Tag recovery data is valuable in better understanding migration patterns.

10/15/2026

The monarch tagging season may be winding down, but data collection is just beginning!

As you finish tagging monarchs this season, remember to send your tagging data to us by the end of the year (December 31) at latest. This ensures that we receive and process your important data in a timely manner.

How do you submit your tagging data? There are three ways to do it:

1. Mail your physical data sheets to us at Monarch Watch headquarters
2. Log your tagging data in the Monarch Watch app
3. Submit your data via our online submission form

You just need to choice one submission method, and then you're good to go! For more information about submitting your data, visit our tagging program page at the link in the comments.

Thank you so much for participating in our tagging program. Every piece of data is important information to better understanding and supporting monarchs and their migration. We hope you have a great rest of the tagging season!

Our Free Milkweeds applications are now open! If you're part of a school, educational non-profit, or large-scale restora...
10/13/2026

Our Free Milkweeds applications are now open!

If you're part of a school, educational non-profit, or large-scale restoration project, you may qualify to receive free flats of native milkweeds for your habitat project through our program.

Since 2015, Monarch Watch has awarded more than 1 million milkweed plugs to projects across the country, helping people establish beneficial habitat for monarchs and many other pollinators and wildlife. These gardens and landscapes provide milkweed, the monarch's sole host plant, for monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on and for caterpillars to feed on during the breeding seasons.

If you've been looking for an opportunity to kick-start your habitat project, we'd love to have you apply! Click the link below and select either our Free for Schools & Non-Profits program or our Free for Restoration program to learn more and apply. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, so apply soon!

https://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/free-milkweeds

What is a fall roost?Even though monarchs typically migrate solo during the fall, they may take shelter for the night in...
10/08/2026

What is a fall roost?

Even though monarchs typically migrate solo during the fall, they may take shelter for the night in larger groups in places like trees or shrubs. This is called a "roost." Roost numbers generally range from a few monarch butterflies to thousands of them!

It's still unclear exactly why monarch butterflies will roost during the fall migration, but some theories include protection in numbers from predators and the elements and clustering near access to resources, such as water and nectar.

What do you do when you see a roost? Report it! Sharing your observations help us better understand monarch migration dynamics. You can report your fall roost sightings to Journey North .

These incredible pictures are examples of a fall roost taken by Kim Thompson. 📸

10/07/2026

Monarchs are still migrating through Kansas! Over the last couple of days, hundreds of monarch butterflies have been gathering on a Monarch Watcher's property to take advantage of the abundant nectar sources before continuing on their journey.

Radio-tagged monarchs are on the move! This past weekend, we deployed a few more monarchs with radio tags to continue st...
10/05/2026

Radio-tagged monarchs are on the move! This past weekend, we deployed a few more monarchs with radio tags to continue studying their migration, and they're already heading south of their deployment site of Lawrence, Kansas.

If you'd like to follow along on their journeys, download the free Project Monarch Science app and search for monarchs MW26-KS-036 through MW26-KS-044. You can even "follow" these monarchs in the app and get notifications when they get detected.

Photo by Linda Kunkle-Park
...

The Project Monarch Science app is connected with the initiative led by Cellular Tracking Technologies and Cape May Point Arts and Science Center to deploy radio-tagged monarchs and study their movement in new ways. Monarch Watch has continued participating in this collaboration and contributes radio-tagging data from our research projects to the collaborative for use in larger-scale data analyses.

We're excited to be part of the KU Field Station Visitors Day, happening tomorrow, Oct. 3! Check out all the amazing thi...
10/02/2026

We're excited to be part of the KU Field Station Visitors Day, happening tomorrow, Oct. 3! Check out all the amazing things happening at the field station, say "hi" to us at our Monarch Watch booth, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

We want to share some of our fond memories of Lenora Larson, who passed away last month. Lenora was a long-time supporte...
10/02/2026

We want to share some of our fond memories of Lenora Larson, who passed away last month.

Lenora was a long-time supporter of monarchs and an advocate for all insects. She was an avid gardener, and her Monarch Waystation #875 at Long Lips Farm was a spectacular testament to her dedication to local wildlife.

Lenora shared her love of plants and insects with everyone. She wrote articles for the Kansas City Gardener, with her most recent article in the September 2026 issue about butterfly senses. She ended that article with “…the only human sense that butterflies lack is a sense of humor!”

We at Monarch Watch enjoyed working with Lenora over the years and will miss her greatly. She had an incredible sense of humor and an amazing way with words, including words to live by, both in the garden and in life.

Fall Open House and Tagging Event recap!Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Fall Open House. We enjoyed getting t...
10/01/2026

Fall Open House and Tagging Event recap!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Fall Open House. We enjoyed getting to connect with all of you!

In addition, our Fall Tagging Event was a huge success! We tagged lots of monarchs thanks to the help and support from the community. It was a beautiful morning of experiencing the fall migration at the Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center.

Thank you to Ann Dean Photo for all of the wonderful pictures!

We are honored to be the recipient of New England Biolabs' Monarch Day, happening today from 8a to 8p (ET)!For over 50 y...
09/30/2026

We are honored to be the recipient of New England Biolabs' Monarch Day, happening today from 8a to 8p (ET)!

For over 50 years, New England Biolabs (NEB), a developer of products and solutions for the life science industry, has prioritized the advancement of science, preservation of the environment, and giving back to those around them. In honor of NEB Founder Don Comb, NEB has introduced NEB Monarch Day – a day in which NEB gives back to an organization that aligns with their values. Today, September 30, NEB will donate 1% of U.S. total sales from purchases of their catalog products to Monarch Watch.

Thank you so much to NEB for their continued support of Monarch Watch, and we're excited to further our education, conservation, and research programs to support monarchs!

To learn more about NEB Monarch Day, visit their website: https://www.neb.com/en-us/campaignsupport/new-england-biolabs-monarch-day

Address

2021 Constant Avenue
Lawrence, KS
66047

Telephone

+17858644441

Website

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