The Monarch Monitoring Project is a long-term study on monarch migration through Cape May, NJ. It is a part of the New Jersey Audubon Research Department, and closely affiliated with the Cape May Bird Observatory.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

New "Monarch Ambassador" volunteer program

We are starting to gear up for the beginning of our 2015 field season, just over a month away.  We will conduct our censuses, public programs, and tagging efforts in Cape May Point, as we've done for over 25 years.  Our field season runs from September 1 through October 31.

This year, however, we have some new plans.  We will conduct pilot studies of migrating monarchs at other locations in southern New Jersey, including Stone Harbor Point and East Point, where we have seen monarch concentrations in previous years.  We're hoping to recruit and train a group of volunteers to help conduct the pilot studies and share information about monarch migration with people they meet while conducting these studies.  Our trained volunteers will be known as, "Monarch Ambassadors."  The research work will involve simple point counts (standing at one designated point for 20 minutes and counting all the monarchs seen during that time) and tagging monarchs with special color-marked tags.




Monarch Ambassadors will need to attend one of our training sessions.  Each lasts about 2 hours, with an hour-long indoor presentation on monarch biology and the work of the Monarch Monitoring Project, and the second hour outside, learning to tag monarchs and to properly record data from point counts and from tagging.  Here's the schedule:

Wednesday, September 2, at 3:00 pm, at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor.
Tuesday, September 8, at 1:00 pm, at the Nature Center of Cape May.
Saturday, September 12, at 10:00 am, at the Nature Center of Cape May.
Tuesday, September 15, at 2:00 pm, at the Lower Township Public Library in Villas.

RSVP required: please contact us by e-mail to monarchs@njaudubon.org.  Along with the names of all planning to attend, please be sure to let us know which session you plan to attend and make note of any experience you have working with monarch butterflies.  Please include the ages of any potential volunteers under the age of 18.


Sunday, July 5, 2015

Work with us next autumn!

We are currently accepting applications for our seasonal Field Technician position.  The job description is below.  Please pass this along to a young biologist, naturalist, or educator who might like to join our team.



Position: Field Technician, Monarch Monitoring Project
Departments: Research and Education
Location: Cape May, New Jersey
Reports to: CMBO Program Director and MMP Director
Job Classification: Fulltime Seasonal

Job Description: FIELD TECHNICIAN for ongoing MONARCH MONITORING PROJECT at New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, Cape May, New Jersey September 1 to October 31. Cape May is renowned as one of the world's great hot spots for migration. NJA fosters the application of sound scientific principles and practices to address conservation issues related to vertebrate and invertebrate fauna, and the natural habitats with which they are associated.

Duties:
Daily road censuses of migrating Monarchs
Monarch tagging
Data entry
Educating the public about the project and Monarch biology

Qualifications:
Experience interacting with the public and excellent interpersonal skills
Enthusiastic and motivated self-starter who is also a strong team player
•      Familiarity with insect ecology a plus, but not required
Willingness to work irregular hours
Careful data collecting and entry skills
Must have own vehicle and a valid driver’s license

Start Date: September 1, 2015 Ending Date: October 31, 2015

Salary: $900/month; housing and reimbursement for gas provided

Application Deadline: July 15, 2015

Please send cover letter of interest, resume, and three references (including email and phone contact info) to Mike Crewe, NJ Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, Northwood Center, 701 East Lake Drive, Cape May Point, NJ 08212, or email: mike.crewe@njaudubon.org

The New Jersey Audubon Society (NJ Audubon) is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies, NJ Audubon is not connected with the National Audubon Society. NJ Audubon is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).