You may have heard about the sudden collapse of the western monarch butterfly population in recent years. The number of the migratory butterflies has declined by a staggering 99% since the 1980s. In Marin County, only 200 monarch butterflies were observed this winter, down from a record 38,700 counted in 2015. Scientists and non-profit organizations are banding together to help solve this problem, but we “citizen scientists” can help too!

Marin residents are being asked to play their part in the conservation efforts primarily by logging sightings of monarch butterflies for the Western Monarch Mystery Challenge.  Scientists know that monarchs spend the winter months (November to February) in groves along the California Coast, but don’t know much about where they are in February, March, and April. Solving the mystery of where western monarchs spend the spring is critical to conserving and restoring the monarch population.

Do your part by photographing any monarch butterfly sightings before April 22, and submitting your photos to researchers (with chances at prizes). For more information about western monarchs in general, the Western Marin Environmental Action Committee has a great website.