On March 17th, Mexican officials announced a 64% increase from the previous year in the overwintering monarch butterfly population in Mexico—the largest population in seven years!! How do researchers know … Read more
monarch butterfly
Science is for Everyone: Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Cities Monitor Monarch Migration Through Community Science Efforts
Every year, cities participating in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program monitor different legs of the monarch migration through community science events. These events encourage individuals to collect data that contributes … Read more
Six Ways You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly
With their orange wings with black edges, migratory monarch butterflies make a miraculous intergenerational journey of more than 3,000 miles across North America, one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena … Read more
Why Monarchs Need Mayors: Celebrating 5 Monarch Butterfly Advocates
Ten years ago, the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program envisioned a future that had mayors and local governments at the forefront of monarch conservation. Since then, 2,300 pledges have been taken … Read more
Monarch Heroes: Celebrating 10 Years of Wonder, Curiosity, and Stewardship of the Monarch Butterfly, Part 2
In Part 1 of this Monarch Heroes celebration, we talked about the beginnings of the Monarch Heroes program and its multi-faceted approach to monarch conservation. Here, we’ll highlight a handful … Read more
Monarch Heroes: Celebrating 10 Years of Wonder, Curiosity, and Stewardship of the Monarch Butterfly, Part 1
“Monarch Heroes, a program that empowers Texas students to create Schoolyard Habitats, shows students that science is alive outside their classroom walls. Experiencing this program transformed my teaching philosophy while … Read more
Collaboration and Teamwork Create Success for Youth-Led Pollinator Advocacy and Civic Engagement
The National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge (MMP) program encourages mayors and other local leaders to take action for the monarch butterfly, an iconic species that has declined dramatically in … Read more
Many Hands Make Light Work: Local Community Volunteers Show Up to Support Monarchs
It is no surprise that the monarch butterfly has been under threat. In recent decades the iconic species has experienced an average decline of 84% of the eastern population and … Read more
Becoming a Mature Butterfly: Celebrating a Decade-Long Pledge for Monarchs
2025 marks 10 years of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program’s work to build an unstoppable movement that supports healthy communities, wildlife, and ecosystems for all. The program is grounded in … Read more
Making Sense of Butterfly Declines
Butterflies have been in the news lately. In December 2024 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the … Read more
