Monarch Tagging and Release Demonstration

Natural History Society of Maryland is participating is a national citizen science project of tagging monarch butterflies.

Monarch butterflies fly to Mexico for the winter. Their 3,000 mile journey is challenged by dwindling habitat due to development and the reduction of their host plant, milkweed. Monarchs are critical for pollinating wildflowers that are hosts to insects that provide food for birds.

Citizen scientists will be tagging Monarchs before they begin their journey back to Mexico. Tagging helps answer questions about the origins of monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of the migration, mortality during the migration, and changes in geographic distribution. It also shows that the probability of reaching Mexico is related to geographic location, size of the butterfly, and the date (particularly as this relates to the migration window for a given location).

Please join us at the Saturday Overlea Farmers Market to watch NHSM Lepidoptery Club members tag and release monarchs!

Weather permitting! Let’s hope Florence cooperates.