Monarchs Meet the Press

You can't ask for a nicer September day in Cape May.  It was sunny and cool, with gentle northwest winds most of the day bringing great numbers of songbirds and raptors down to the Point.  We saw a slight increase in monarchs, too, but not a major influx yet.  Our team was out in force, and while tagging only took a bit of our time, we had many opportunities for impromptu educational sessions with curious visitors to Cape May Point.

MMP volunteer Paige Cunningham, left, joins our seasonal team of
Lindsey Brendel, center, and Angela Demarse, right, at the Triangle Park.

Favorable winds for migration are predicted for the next three days, as well, so we're hopeful that lots of monarchs are on their way.  Of course we could be disappointed again.  The monarch population has plummeted, and this has caught the attention of the press and of New Jersey lawmakers, as noted earlier in this blog.  Our project was quoted again today in The Press of Atlantic City, you can see that article here.  We were visited by a photographer and another reporter from The Press of Atlantic City today, and we talked by phone with a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Tomorrow a report from NJTV (which produces news and feature programming for public television stations in New Jersey) is coming to interview the team.  Monarchs are in trouble, so it's crucial that we spread the word about their plight and about possible solutions.  Responding to the reporters can take a lot of time, but we believe it's time well spent, and we welcome their questions and their visits.  Keep an eye on the blog, we'll continue to link to all the stories we see where members of our team are interviewed.

MMP Field Coordinator Louise Zemaitis and volunteer Michael O'Brien
are interviewed by Wallace McKelvey of The Press of Atlantic City.