Only five new monarch sightings were reported this week! Again, biologists Dr. Bill Calvert in Texas, Dr. Gary Ross in Louisiana and Dr. Lincoln Brower in Florida all report seeing far fewer monarchs this season. Their comments are provided below.
Where are all the monarchs? What could be the causing this trend? List all the reasons you can think of. As the season progresses, do you think this trend will continue? Will you see as many monarchs this spring as you have in previous years?
Your monarch reports are especially important this year!
Please report the FIRST monarch you see this spring to:jn-report@learner.org
Please encourage others to help collect this information. We've included a letter at the end of this report which you can send to your family and friends.
When you see your first monarch, please be prepared to include these 2 things in the "Comments" section of your report :
* The condition of wild milkweed & nectar plants.
* The condition of monarchs' wings.
(Are the wings tattered or broken?
Are the colors bright or faded?)
Challenge Question # 84
"Why do you think it's important to collect information about the condition of the monarch's wings?"
Monarchs Reported This Week
Date Location
March 30 Port Allen, Louisiana (30.270 N, 91.123 W)
April 1 Gulf Breeze, Florida (30.212 N, 87.095 W)
April 7 Auburn, Alabama (32.35 N, 85.26 W)
April 8 Carrollton, Texas (32.571 N, 96.532 W)
April 12 Kingsville, Ontario
Don't forget: Always consider how this information is collected. Who are the observers? Remember, you are the scientist in this study. As we forward monarch data to you this spring, the e-mail addresses of observers will be included. If you have questions about any of these reports--contact the observer directly! Their comments are provided below.
Part of a scientist's job is to collect data in order to distinguish between real facts and subjective observations. Here is an example: After the winter snowstorm in the monarch sanctuaries in Mexico, some people said 35 % of the population had been killed. People immediately began to speculate that this would affect the spring migration. In a message accompanying today's report, Dr. Lincoln Brower provides the official estimate of mortality. Do you think the winter storm is partially responsible for the trend people say they are noticing this spring?
Dr. Brower is a well known monarch scientist and has studied the monarchs in Mexico for over 20 years. What do you know about Dr. Brower's work? Can you answer this Challenge Question?
Challenge Question # 85
"What theory about monarch migration is Dr. Brower known for?"
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Reports of First Monarchs
From ALABAMA:
April 7
I saw a monarch butterfly on April 7, Easter Sunday, about 4:00 p.m. near
my home in Auburn, Alabama. (Latitude and longitude are 32.35N and 85.26W.)
The wings were in good condition.
Sam Candler, 6th grade, J.F. Drake Middle School, Auburn, Alabama
Mrs. Carol Rogow, library media specialist rogowcd@mail.auburn.edu
From TEXAS:
April 8
The Internet Field Team at the Dallas Museum of Natural History
reports a monarch in Carrollton, Texas on Monday, April 8, 1996
Gail Manning grm_dmnh@ix.ix.netcom.com
From LOUISIANA & FLORIDA
March 23 and other dates
We have several sightings to report since the Easter break.
March 23 @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana; March 29 @Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
March 30 @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana; March 30 @ Port Allen, Louisiana
March 31 @ St. Gabriel, Louisiana; April 1 three @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana
April 1 @ Gulf Breeze, Florida; April 3 two @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana
April 4 @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana; April 7 two @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana
April 8 @ Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Will see what I can find out about wild
milkweed here and I'll try to get some more teachers and students looking
out for monarchs.
Mrs. JoDale Ales Biology Class JoAles@aol.com
From ONTARIO:
April 12, 1996
Joey Newman saw a Monarch Butterfly on Greenwood Road in Kingsville, Ontario.
Corry Demeris, Jack Miner Public School
corrdeme@enoreo.on.ca or jmps@wincom.net
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Other Observations of Monarchs
From TEXAS:
Week of April 8
"Monarchs are moving through Texas and are laying eggs, but not very
actively. Areas to the East such as Longview, Lake Somerville (East of
Austin) and Sabine Pass report the most. But numbers of eggs have been
found in the Austin and Dallas areas, indicating that they have been
through." Contributed by Dr. Bill Calvert, Texas Monarch Watch Hotline
From LOUISIANA:
April 12, 1996
Dr. Gary Ross reports 2 monarchs in his butterfly garden and
remarked again this week that there are noticeably fewer monarchs
this spring than in previous years. Congratulations to Dr. Ross who
recently won a national conservation award for his nature writing.
(If you would like to obtain a copy of his book, Everything you Ever
Wanted to Know About Butterflies, send $13.50 to Dr. Ross at: 6095
Stratford Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
From CALIFORNIA:
April 15
The first batch of adults has now emerged, and a new round of
caterpillars are on the milkweed in my yard.
Adrian Wenner, Dept. of Ecology, Evololution & Marine Biology
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
(Forwarded by Donald_Davis@stubbs.woodsworth.utoronto.ca
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The following letter can be sent by e-mail or snail mail.
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Dear Friend,
This spring our class is tracking the migration of the monarch butterfly.
We hope you will help us with this study. Please report the FIRST monarch
you see this spring to: jn-report@learner.org
Please include the following information with your report:
Your Name:
Date of Sighting:
Nearest Town:
State or Province:
Comments, such as:
* Condition of the monarch's wings
* Height of local milkweed
* Nectar available to monarchs in your region
* Date you first saw a monarch last year, etc.
Thank you very much!
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How to Respond to Challenge Questions # 84 or 85 :
1. Send an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line write: Challenge Question # 84 (or # 85) (Please answer only ONE QUESTION in each e-mail message!)
3. In the Body of your message, answer ONE of these questions:
Challenge Question # 84
"Why do you think it's important to collect information about the condition of the monarch's wings?"
or
Challenge Question # 85
"What theory about monarch migration is Dr. Brower known for?"
The Next Monarch Butterfly Migration Update Will be Posted on April 22, 1996
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