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Report Your Sightings! |
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This Week's News:
- The Migration: Maps and Questions
- The Migration: Latest News:
- Photo of the Week: How Many Monarchs per Minute?
- Citizen Scientist Journal: Use Standard Units of Measurement to Compare Observations
- Lesson: Migration Rate Activities
- Links: Monarch Resources to Explore
| How many monarchs per minute? |
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Monarchs
Cruise into Kansas
Samual was doing his schoolwork when he happened to look out
the window. "He saw monarchs, so we decided to go watch," said
his mom. "Within 1 hour and 20 minutes we saw 1,018 monarchs, all
headed south!! It was totally amazing!!!"
In the very same town, not far away, Mrs. Palmberg discovered a roost on her farm. We have sunflowers, alfalfa, and clover fields," she noted.
Most surprising was the roost reported in western Kansas, only 60 miles from the Colorado border. This is the westernmost roost ever reported to us from Kansas, and it's at the same longitude as the overwintering sites in Mexico. Monarch expert Dr. Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch commented, "In the early years of Monarch Watch (1992-96), we received reports of clusters and substantial numbers of migrating monarchs from several western Kansas counties bordering Colorado. We haven't had much news from that area in over 10 years." Were last week's unusual east winds responsible for carrying the monarchs westward?
When
Will They Get There?
There were two early reports of monarchs in northern Mexico this week.
When do you predict the first monarchs will reach the overwintering sites
in central Mexico? When will they arrive in large numbers? Look at this
week's map and make your prediction. (For
measuring distances on Google maps, see: How
Far to Mexico?)
- For the 20th year, the Monarch Monitoring Project at Cape May New Jersey is underway. Over the past two weeks their average migration rate was 17 monarchs per hour. "Our Road Census has compiled a significant and unique database quantifying monarch migration," says project leader Dick Walton.
- Breeding in the south: People noted monarchs breeding this week from Virginia, to Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas. They saw eggs, larvae, and even mated pairs. Remember: scientists don't understand how important this late season breeding is to the monarch population. Observations like these are helping to solve the mystery.
- Also migrating this week—dragonflies! A swarm flew overhead in Iowa, taking a free lift from a cold front. Monarch butterflies often migrate with dragonflies, under the same conditions. (See graphic.)
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| Monarchs settling into a roost in Plainville, Kansas, on Tuesday. |
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A
fresh monarch in Minnesota |
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This week, learn how standard units of measurement help us make sense of migration data. Read this week's observation reports from citizen scientists and see how to count monarchs per hour (or monarchs per minute). Can you identify where the migration was strongest? What else can you learn by comparing the observations?
- Explore this week's: Observation Reports from Citizen Scientists
All
Monarch Observations Are Important!
Whether a person sees
a single butterfly or thousands, all monarch observations are important!
When
you report your own monarch sightings, please include standard units of
measurement. Tell us how many monarchs per hour
(or per minute) you see. Using
this information, scientists can learn about the pathways monarchs travel
during migration, the weather that influences their journey, the habitat
the butterflies use, where the monarchs might be breeding, the size of
the monarch population in different regions, and countless other facts.
For Your Journal
The four activities below give students practice with the standard units we use for migration data. (Also see these Teaching Suggestions to introduce students to the concept of migration rates.)
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Online Practice Activity |
Practice Activity |
Data Sheet |
Data Sheet |
- Observation Challenge Activity: How Many Monarchs Can You Count in a Minute?
- Data Analysis Activity: Data Hunt Challenge
- Map Skills: How Far to Mexico? Measuring Distances with Google Maps
- Symbolic Migration: You're Invited to Send a Symbolic Monarch to Mexico!
- Slideshow: The Annual Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
- Slideshow: The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly (English/Spanish)
- Journey North for Kids: Monarch Butterfly Resources for Children
- Collecting Data: How to Monitor Fall Migration
- Observing Fall Habitat: How is Monarch Butterfly Habitat Changing?
- Encouraging Inquiry-based Research: Categorizing Questions
- More: Monarch lessons and teaching ideas
Monarch Butterfly Migration Updates Will be Posted on THURSDAYS: Aug. 27, Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5...or until the monarchs reach Mexico!
The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on September 24, 2009.
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