January 2006 Meeting
Monarch Butterfly Information
The January 2006 GNPS meeting topic was "Milkweeds and Monarchs" and was presented by Karen Garland and Susan Meyers. Karen is Environmental Education Coordinator for the Georgia Conservancy. Susan is co-chair of the committee Monarchs Across Georgia (MAG), which is an initiative of the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.
One of the handouts from the meeting gave this extensive list of monarch and other butterfly websites:
Monarch Websites
Monarchs Across Georgia is a collaboration of the Environmental Education Alliance, teachers, students, families, communities, businesses and others, all working together to study Monarch butterflies and restore butterfly habitat across the state of Georgia.
Monarch Lab is based out of the University of Minnesota, this is the home of "Monarchs in the Classroom" curriculum and an excellent resource for information on the biology and rearing of Monarchs.
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project is the data collection site for a citizen science project based out of the University of Minnesota. Excellent detail and photos to distinguish the instar stages of the Monarch are provided.
Monarch Watch is home to the University of Kansas' tagging program, this website has a wealth of information on biology, rearing, gardening, milkweed, and migration.
Journey North tracks the yearly migration for Monarchs and many other species through data collected from citizen scientists. It provides lesson plans, challenge questions and sponsors the "Monarch Butterfly Symbolic Migration" project.
The Ophryocystis elektroscirrha Website offers information about the current research on OE, how to check for this Monarch parasite and how to rear healthy Monarchs.
Monarch Conservation
The mission of Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation (MBSF) is to provide financial and scientific support for preserving the natural balance and diversity of the Oyamel Fir forests that are the overwintering grounds of eastern North American Monarch butterflies.
The
Michoacan Reforestation Fund and La Cruz Habitat Protection Project continue to reforest in and around the Monarch butterfly's overwintering sites by providing high quality trees to the local communities in the states of Michoacan and Mexico, Mexico.
Georgia Butterflies and Moths
Georgia Lepidoptera: Moths and Butterflies of Georgia and the Southeastern U.S.