Monarch Butterfly Propagation and Monitoring

"The annual migration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world.  Every year, millions of monarchs migrate thousands of miles from Canada and the United States to overwinter in the mountain peaks in the states of Mexico and Michoacan in Mexico.  This magical journey, deemed an "endangered natural phenomenon," is dependent on conservation of habitats in all three North American countries -- the United States, Canada, and Mexico." (MonarchLIVE website)
Eden Place Nature Center is both a designated Illinois Monarch Habitat and the official Illinois MonarchLIVE site.  In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service International Programs and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum we conduct a number of special activities and events focused on preserving habitat and promoting population stability for the monarch butterfly as it migrates from Mexico to Canada and back every year.  These activities include:

MonarchLIVE Webcast

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On May 19th, 2009, Eden Place participated in "Little Spaces, Big Results," an international MonarchLIVE live webcast that showcased how urban residents can use little spaces to produce big results for the monarch.  Participants learned how to use container planting and composting to create small urban gardens that provide the monarch butterfly with food sources during its annual migration across North America.

This webcast was conducted as part of our larger work with the MonarchLIVE program, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service International Programs and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. MonarchLIVE focuses on education about and habitat restoration for species that cross international borders in their migration.

Monarch Propagation

We involve our Leaders in Training and volunteers in our Monarch Propagation program.  Youth participate in each step of the propagation process:
  • Eggs are collected from the undersides of milkweed leaves in the Eden Place prairie or ordered from special suppliers.
  • Caterpillars feed on milkweed leaves harvested from the Eden Place prairie.
  • Each caterpillar transforms into a chrysallis.
  • When a butterfly emerges from its chrysallis it is released in the Eden Place Butterfly Garden.

Through participation in the Monarch Propagation program Eden Place youth get hands-on experience with real science, contribute to an international conservation movement, and deepen their appreciation for one of nature's greatest mysteries.

Monarch Tagging

In order to investigate the mystery of the treacherous monarch migration, scientists and citizens have worked together to create a low-fi tracking system. We place tiny stickers on the wings of monarchs before releasing them into the wild (each sticker is light enough to be inconsequential to the butterfly).  The unique sticker code is recorded in an online database.  When a volunteer recovers a butterfly wearing a sticker in one of the common migration sites, the code is cross-referenced in the database. Matches give us a clue as to where and how far each monarch traveled as part of the greater migration.