Status of the MWN, Tag Recoveries, Migration News and More

As you know from previous newsletters, the Monarch Waystation Network is in a transition period. Funding has not yet been secured to continue the half time Education Coordinator position. For all of you who completed the survey I sent out, thank you!Your responses were truly vital in helping us develop a future plan. I also sincerely appreciate the heartfelt responses, compliments, testimonies and overall warmth. Your passion is inspirational and certainly helped with our decision-making! Below are the highlights of the plan you helped develop.

NEWSLETTER

  • Survey data shows an overwhelming number of you read 75% or more of each newsletter, so….
  • Beginning in August or September I will continue sending out the newsletter:) However, since I am re-entering the teaching profession after a two year break, I may only get it out once every 6-8 weeks instead of every month (I know you understand how busy teachers are!)
  • Instead of coming from my ku.edu address, they will most likely come from a monarchwatch.org email address.
  • Please continue sending pictures, stories, news updates, etc. of your gardens and your students to be featured in future newsletters. Survey results showed an overwhelming popularity of seeing “real-life” examples of students engaging with monarchs and other pollinators! It is truly beneficial for us all to see that when we engage students in these ways, we become part of something much bigger than ourselves or our individual schools! I strongly encourage you to continue sharing your pictures, stories, questions, and impacts these educational opportunities have on your students, schools and communities.
  • As my matt.tucker@ku.edu address will cease to exist after June 12, during the next two months, please send any MWN-related emails (material for future newsletters, questions, etc.) to our Communications Coordinator, Angie Babbit, at angiebabbit@ku.edu.
  • Keep reading the newsletters and providing feedback:)
WEBSITE
  • The MWN website will remain up and running. At this time, we are uncertain how often it will be updated or modified, but all of the current content will remain as is for now.
  • Contact Angie Babbit at angiebabbit@ku.edu for MWN website-related items. Jim Lovett (jlovett@ku.edu) still maintains our main Monarch Watch website, which is a separate site.
MISCELLANEOUS
  • To clarify, the Monarch Waystation Network (this network for schools and nonprofits working with students) and the Monarch Waystation Program (garden registration and signage) are separate Monarch Watch projects. This staffing change only affects the Waystation Network. Nothing related to our Waystation Program is changing.

Taking Your Students Outside

Now is the Time to Take Your Students Outside

As a former teacher, I know how busy this time of year is for you. Amidst all of the tests here in April, try to carve some time to take your students outside. You don’t need a big lesson planned. Just have them simply sit with their journal and observe.

By facilitating these opportunities, you instill the importance of truly observing their surroundings. You never know what you may see… as I took a short break from working on this blog to stare out my window, I saw a speck of orange flutter by my window. Was it a monarch? I quickly walked outside and into Monarch Waystation #1. Sure enough a female monarch was searching for milkweed on which to lay her eggs. I excitedly watched her search for a few minutes until she flew out of sight.

If I had not been taking a minute away from the computer screen simply stare into the outside world, I may have missed seeing the first monarch of the 2017 migration here at the Monarch Watch office. We all miss so much when we are plugged into technology, inside, too busy, multi-tasking, or simply not truly mindful of what our eyes may witness.

Taking your students outside to simply observe nature can truly bring about an awareness that a book, classroom activity, nor internet image can ever provide. It may take some guidance and practice, but providing your students with repeated opportunities to simply sit and observe nature, can truly open their eyes to a new way of seeing their world.

Connecting the Monarch Migration to School Standards

The monarch migration sparks awe and wonder in people of all ages. Teachers all across North America incorporate the migration into their classroom in numerous ways. Our friends at Journey North have incredible, real-time maps that allow you to follow the migration. Using data submitted by citizen scientists, like you, the maps document first sightings of monarchs (adults, eggs and larvae) as well as the first milkweed shoots to emerge in the spring. Easily report your observations and use these resources to participate in the migration, no matter where you are!

Learn more about connecting the monarch migration to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards by visiting our Curricula page!

Monarch Population

Monarch Population Count
 
The official 2016-17 monarch population figures have been released. World Wildlife Fund Mexico in collaboration with SEMARNAT and CONANP and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) announced the total forest area occupied by overwintering monarch colonies. Thirteen (13) colonies were located this winter season with a total area of 2.91 hectares. Click the graph to open a larger view. The potential uses of this graph in your classrooms seem infinite! Be sure to use our forum to share the ways you successfully incorporated in in your class!
*Aerial photo of the El Rosario Monarch Colony, Mexico.
Photo by L.P. Brower on February 26, 1999.