AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium (IMCC) is asking the state’s landowners to help track the upcoming monarch migration as thousands of butterflies make their journey south to Mexico this fall.

Located at Iowa State University in Ames, the IMCC is comprised of members and partners from over 50 organizations, including agricultural and conservation associations, agribusiness and utility companies, universities and state and federal agencies, according to officials.

IMCC researchers said they are requesting this assistance to identify areas where monarchs rest in clusters – like trees and sheltered areas – when they funnel through Iowa during their trip.

“We are seeking reports from landowners if they have monarchs roosting on their property, or from community members if they observe roosting monarchs on public lands,” said Katherine Kral-O’Brien, Iowa State University assistant professor of pollinator ecology and conservation in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, who leads the IMCC team.

“Identifying these roosting locations provides critical data on migration pathways, and helps scientists and conservationists protect and restore key habitats,” she added.

She told Farm World monarchs have been reported roosting throughout the entire state, but “we see some of the earliest observations from the northwest and northeast before they filter into central Iowa.”

She said farmers have gotten involved in the past by reporting monarch roosts within their yards and shelterbelts, or windbreaks: “We’ve received calls, emails and in-person reports when monarchs show up.

“I particularly enjoy reports from farmers talking about the sheer number of monarchs – sometimes hundreds – and the number of years monarchs come back to the same area – sometimes more than 20 years,” she added.

She said the response has always been positive since monarchs often bring up memories of growing up and seeing hundreds of monarchs every year, or raising monarch caterpillars during the summer.

The many ways the IMCC said it’s asking Iowa landowners to identify a monarch roost are: Dozens to hundreds of monarchs clustered on tree branches; most that are often found in sheltered areas, near the edge of woodlands, windbreaks or river corridors; and roosting that typically occurs in the evening and early morning.

“If you observe a monarch roost, please contact the IMCC at monarch@iastate.edu, and provide a general location of the roost (e.g., address, name of public area),” Kral-O’Brien said. “The type of tree, number of monarchs, dates, and photos are also helpful.”

The IMCC said all reported data will remain anonymous. Roost sites can also be reported to Journey North (www.journeynorth.org), a large citizen science program that tracks wildlife migration and seasonal changes across North America to assist monarch researchers and conservationists around the country.

According to the IMCC, monarch populations have declined significantly in recent decades due to multiple factors, including habitat loss and extreme weather: “Iowa plays a crucial role in their migration corridor. By documenting roosting sites, landowners are directly contributing to the science that guides conservation strategies at home, and across the continent.”

The IMCC said even if landowners don’t encounter a roost, they can still help track the monarch migration through Bluetooth technology. New BlūMorpho tags allow researchers to pinpoint a tagged monarch’s location through the landowner’s Bluetooth. The BlūMorpho tag is the lightest-weight radio tracking tag, weighing in at 60 milligrams – less than a grain of rice.

The IMCC said the lightweight tags run on solar energy, allowing scientists to track the butterfly’s movement throughout its lifetime: “By downloading the Project Monarch app in the Google Play or Apple Store, turning on your Bluetooth, and searching for tagged monarchs in your area, you can help track tagged individuals during the fall migration.

“This will especially be important in September when the IMCC will release BlūMorpho-tagged monarchs as part of a migration research project,” the IMCC added. “To learn more about this research, sign up for the IMCC newsletter, or follow @iowamonarchs on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.”

For more information about the IMCC and the resources it provides, visit: https://monarch.ent.iastate.edu.