Newsletters

The Winter 2025 newsletter includes a recap of our first-ever virtual 2024 end of season gathering in October 2024 along with dates for our 2025 virtual MLMP training workshops. We also provide information about the recent determination by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to give monarchs protection under the Endangered Species Act and the public comment period from December 12, 2024 – March 12, 2025.

This summer's newsletter includes a ‘Save the Date’ for our first-ever virtual end of season gathering. We also share news of a recent interview and publication based on the data you collect for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project along with an update on the monitoring season thus far.

This winter’s newsletter includes an article about conservation efforts in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a media feature about monarchs, upcoming 2024 virtual training workshop information, 2023 data and volunteer summaries, and updates about MLMP activities and people including a life change MLMP Founder Dr. Karen Oberhauser and an introduction to the new MLMP Coordinator, Annie Isenbarger.

This summer’s newsletter includes an update from MLMP Founder Dr. Karen Oberhauser on monarch winter 2022-2023 and spring population numbers, FAQs about monitoring, a summary of our 2023 online training workshops, a note to volunteers in Florida, an opportunity to learn about the Lost Ladybug Project, the Monarch Blitz Save-the-Date, and gallery photos. Read on!

This winter’s newsletter includes a reflection from MLMP Founder Dr. Karen Oberhauser on monarchs in the winter, an in memoriam piece for longtime MLMP volunteer and trainer Kip Kiphart, our 2023 workshop listing and information, a summary of 2022 MLMP data, an update to Activity 3: Estimating Monarch Survival, and some monitoring and data entry reminders.

This summer’s newsletter includes a summary of monarch winter 2021-2022 population numbers, updates to our data sheets, a summary of our training workshops, a volunteer thank you and honor roll, and interviews with five current citizen scientists—some who are new to monitoring and others who have been with us since 1997.

As we await news from Mexico on how overwintering colony numbers reflect the data we collected on the breeding grounds in 2021, this winter’s newsletter includes important monitoring reminders, updates to our data sheets, information about our upcoming training workshops, a summary of our 2021 monitoring season data, an interview with researcher Jack Whisenant, and a selection of great photos submitted to our gallery. We’ll be back in touch after the release of winter data.

This fall’s newsletter includes important monitoring reminders, a volunteer spotlight on two citizen scientists from Colorado, a summary of our 2021 monitoring season data, and a selection of great photos submitted to our gallery this summer.

This summer's newsletter includes a celebration of Pollinator Week 2021 and a discussion of MLMP participation in California and Illinois. There also is information about Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids, or PAs, and the effects of this toxic chemical on monarchs. A link to RED MONARCA as a monarch literature resource is included in this newsletter as well.

This spring's newsletter recognizes and celebrates 25 years of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project — and counting! Features include: a figure of data from Dr. Karen Oberhauser's first monitoring season 25 years ago, Henry Berkowitz and his MLMP site named "Katie" after his daughter, an introduction to Julia Whidden, upcoming virtual MLMP training dates, and summary points from Monarch Joint Venture's compilation of research on monarchs and milkweed published between June 2019 to August 2020. Two books featured in this newsletter are MJV's Board Chair Ann Hobbie's recently published book, Monarch Butterfiles: Explore the Life Journey of One of the Winged Wonders of the World, as well as author and cyclist Sara Dykman's new non-fiction book, Bicycling with Butterfiles.