Monarchs on the Move

Take your class on a journey with monarch butterflies.  Join us for six electronic field trips as the monarchs travel to Mexico to overwinter and then migrate south to the United States and Canada for the spring and summer.  At each of the locations, classrooms can participate in a live broadcast, webcast, or chat.

MonarchLIVE Kick-off
Friday, October 10, 2008
Noon – 1 p.m. Eastern Time English and Spanish
Webcast and satellite broadcast
Spanish:  The program will be simultaneously broadcast in Spanish.
Join us in Virginia as we kick off Monarch Live.  We will be reviewing monarch biology, citizen science programs, and the importance of stewardship.

In the Mexican Mountains
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m. Eastern Time English only
2 – 3 p.m. Eastern Time Spanish only
Webcast and satellite broadcast
Visit with Mexican and American biologists who study the monarch’s winter habitat.  The biology of overwintering monarchs, estimating the winter population, ideal conditions for monarchs in the oyamel forests, finding and reporting tagged monarchs, and conservation work in Mexico will be discussed.

Community Conservation in Mexico
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m. Eastern Time English only
2 – 3 p.m. Eastern Time Spanish only
Webcast and satellite broadcast
Monarchs overwinter in a remote area of Mexico, and communities there are working to conserve this rare habitat.  Learn how the local community is involved in monitoring and conservation work.  In addition, wintering behavior, resting, avoiding predators, and reserving lipids for northward migration will be reviewed.

Little Spaces; Big Results
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m. Eastern Time English and Spanish
Webcast and/or satellite broadcast
Spanish:  The program will be simultaneously broadcast in Spanish.
Butterfly gardens can be created everywhere!  Join us in Chicago to learn how small garden plots can have big results for both butterflies and people. 

Building the Population
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Noon – 1 p.m. Eastern Time English and Spanish
Webcast and/or broadcast
Spanish:  The program will be simultaneously broadcast in Spanish.
Visit Minnesota to learn about monarchs’ summer behavior and population growth, citizen roles in monitoring the population, and threats to monarchs. 

Monarchs in Canada
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Noon – 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time English only
Webchat
Monarchs depend on healthy habitats in three countries, and Canada provides a welcome summer home to thousands.