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.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Upcoming Monarch Programs in Cape May



The Monarch Monitoring Project field season begins on Friday, Sept. 1, and our public programs begin a week later.  We hope to see many monarch enthusiasts in Cape May this fall at our various programs.  Here's the schedule:


Monarch tagging demos: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Sept. 8 through Oct. 15.

Our demos take place at 2:00 pm under the East Shelter at Cape May Point State Park -- that's the covered picnic pavilion adjacent to the Hawk Watch platform.  No registrations are required and no fee is charged, though contributions to the Monarch Monitoring Project are accepted.

Each demo begins with a talk about monarch biology, conservation, and our team's work (above).  After about 30 minutes we break into smaller groups, each led by one of our team members who will tag one or more monarch butterflies and carefully explain the process (below).



Monarch Monitoring Project Drop-In: Mondays through Thursdays, Sept. 11 - Oct. 26


Join us at 1:00 pm at the Triangle Park, at the junction of Lighthouse and Coral Avenues in Cape May Point, for a relaxed visit with one or more members of our team.  Usually there will be monarchs to tag, and it's also a chance to learn about monarch biology and the development of gardens that benefit monarchs.  You'll even have a chance to help care for this wonderful butterfly garden.  You might also get to be the launching pad for a newly tagged monarch (below).  There's no fee for this program, though contributions are accepted.


Monarchs on Migration Full Day Workshop: Tuesday, October 3

Spend a full day learning about monarch butterflies with Mark Garland, Director of the Monarch Monitoring Project, and other members of the team.  There will be opportunities for each participant to learn how to tag monarchs.  See how to raise monarchs in a controlled environment with a visit to the CMBO Northwood Center.  We'll visit several butterfly gardens and identify the other butterflies that are visiting Cape May Point.  Register here: https://www.regonline.com/Builder/site/tab2.aspx?EventID=1924262&EventSessionID=&editmode=0&view=



Informal learning opportunities

Stop by the CMBO Northwood Center any day to see our display with monarch caterpillars and chrysalides; if you're looking, you may see metamorphosis in action!  Also, our team will be catching and tagging monarchs all around Cape May Point every day in September and October.  You'll know us by the butterfly nets!  Feel free to stop, chat, and learn about our work.





Saturday, August 26, 2017

Exciting News from Mexico

We recently learned that 12 monarchs tagged in Cape May during the fall of 2015 were found the following winter at the El Rosario Sanctuary in Michoacan, Mexico.  This brings our all-time total up to 70.  Most monarchs at the Mexican Sanctuaries can't be inspected for tags, so each one that is found probably represents many more that made the journey.  This exciting news help motivate us for the coming field season, which begins in just a few days, on September 1.

Monarch tagged in Cape May in 2016.  We probably won't hear about
any 2016 recoveries until next year.
Here are details of the 2015 recoveries, all found at El Rosario in Mexico:

UME 026 was tagged by Lindsey Brendel at the Triangle Park on Sept. 13
UMG 053 was tagged by Katie Burns at the Triangle Park on Sept. 13
UMJ 157 was tagged by Sue Slotterback at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor on Sept. 16
UML 033 was tagged by Mark Garland at 400 Coral Ave. on Sept. 16
UMH 105 was tagged by Lu Ann Daniels at the Pavilion Circle on Sept. 17
UMH 115 was tagged by Lu Ann Daniels at the Pavilion Circle on Sept. 17
UMG 172 was tagged by Katie Burns at 400 Coral Ave. on Sept. 21
UNR 908 was tagged by Gayle Steffy at the Triangle Park on Sept. 21
UME 242 was tagged by Lindsey Brendel at our tagging demo on Sept. 24
UME 327 was tagged by Lindsey Brendel at 218 Alexander Ave. on Oct. 6
UMG 611 was tagged by Katie Burns on the beach at Whilldin Ave. on Oct. 16
UMH 006 was tagged by Paige Cunningham at our tagging demo on Oct. 17

We're going through the recovery records to see if any others have been recently reported.  We're also checking the adoption records -- but if you adopted a monarch in 2015, you might check the tag number of your adoptee and let us know if one of yours was found!


Sunday, August 13, 2017

Lots of August Monarchs Around Cape May


We have recently been seeing very good numbers of Monarchs around Cape May, and reports suggest that this is true throughout southern New Jersey.  Good news for fans of our favorite bug!  These butterflies aren't migrating however, these are members of the last pre-migratory generation of the year.  Their offspring will be the ones migrating to Mexico, and we expect the first of the migrants to emerge from their chrysalides later this month.

Our friends are all telling us, "It's going to be a great year for Monarchs in Cape May."  Our reply?  Maybe.  Migratory Monarchs that emerge in Cape May will be gone quickly.  The numbers we see migrating through Cape May are dependent on how well the Monarchs are doing to the north, combined with how the weather pushes the migrants.  More good news, however, is that we have received anecdotal reports from the north suggesting that number are high in many parts of the eastern U.S.  But if we see a long period of sustained east winds, as has happened in several recent autumns, many Monarchs will migrate further west and will miss Cape May entirely.  So we are cautiously optimistic, but only our daily censuses will tell us how this year's migration compares to previous years.

Our census work begins on September 1 and continues through October 31.  We are hoping that the numbers are up this year in Cape May and throughout the eastern U.S., but if that's the case, we can't conclude that the Monarchs are no longer in jeopardy.  Our census data (see graph, below) show that Monarch numbers can fluctuate wildly from one year to the next, and this is true for the entire migratory population.  We'll need several good years in a row before we can even suspect that conservation efforts are succeeding.  But you can't get several good years until you've had the first one, and we're hoping that 2017 will prove to be a great year for Monarchs in Cape May.


If you come to Cape May this month, you'll find plenty of other butterflies in addition to the Monarchs.  Comment on our blog and let us know what species you find.  Painted Lady, Spicebush Swallowtail, and American Copper, shown below, are just three of the many butterflies currently being seen in and around Cape May.








Thursday, August 10, 2017

Wanted: Friend of Monarchs & Dogs

One of our new Field Naturalist Interns, Rebecca Zerlin, is faced with a dilemma.  She has been fostering a rescued dog named, "Trillium," often shortened to "Trillie."  Here's how Rebecca describes how she came to care for this dog:

"Trillie (short for Trillium) is about 3 years old, a tripod St. Bernard/Lab mix. She was being given away at a garage sale by her previous owner because they didn't want her anymore. She had never walked on a leash before or even been in a house. We don't think she had ever been to a vet before, as shown by the condition of her missing leg. In spite of her rough beginning, Trillie is silly, goofy, and just about the sweetest pup you'll meet. She loves cuddling and just wants to be loved by people. Originally she was supposed to stay with me for a few days until a better foster could be found, but the animal rescue organization hasn't found a place for her, so she is still with me."


Unlike the earlier owners, Rebecca won't abandon this dog.  We're still hoping that a home can be found for Trillie, but if that doesn't happen, she'll need to come to Cape May with Rebecca.  And the housing we have for our fall staff is leased from the state, and pets aren't permitted.

Might anyone near Cape May have a place where this lovable dog could spend the fall, while Rebecca works on the Monarch Monitoring Project?  Ideally we'd love to find a place where both Rebecca and the dog could stay.  Our season runs from the last week of August through the first week of November.  If you think you can help, or if you have an idea for us, please send an e-mail message to Monarch Monitoring Project Director Mark Garland at mgnature@gmail.com.


Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Meet Rebecca Zerlin

You don't hear much from the Monarch Monitoring Project during the off season, but we have work to accomplish throughout the year.  One of our most important tasks is to hire our seasonal Field Naturalist Interns for the fall.  This year we received many applications from highly qualified, impressive young biologists and naturalists.  It wasn't easy to make our selections, but we're excited about the two who have been hired.  Yesterday we introduced you to Stephanie Augustine, and today we hand the blog over to Rebecca Zerlin, who will be coming to Cape May from Allenton, Wisconsin.  We hope that all of our followers will help us welcome Stephanie and Rebecca to Cape May and to the Cape May Bird Observatory's Monarch Monitoring Project.



I graduated in 2014 from Unity College (in Maine) with a double major in Wildlife and Ecology. Since graduating, I've held a few seasonal jobs in the conservation field.  My top favorites so far have been working on prescribed burns and monarch tagging, so I am very excited to be joining the monarch team at Cape May!

Growing up, I  remember learning about metamorphosis with the Monarch being using as our model. Since then, I've always been so excited whenever I see one flying around. It takes me right back to being a kid again, and I think that's a similar feeling for a lot of people. I love how passionate people are about Monarchs, and I can't think of anything better than seeing that excitement from people as they learn about them.



Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Monarch Monitoring Project Reawakens -- Meet Stephanie Augustine

August has arrived, and here in Cape May we have begun preparations for the 2017 field season.  It's time for the blog, which stays quiet for most of the off-season, to wake up and become active again!  Our field season runs from September 1 to October 31, but we have already ordered tags, started to dust off our research equipment, and set the program schedule.  We have also hired our two seasonal Field Naturalist Interns, who will arrive in late August.

We want to introduce the new staff to everyone who follows our project.  Today we give the blog to Stephanie Augustine.




My name is Stephanie, and ever since I was two years old watching the cicadas emerge and fanning their wings to dry them, I've been surrounded by nature. Every summer I raised and released monarch butterflies, sketching life cycle stages and charting the caterpillars' progress through their instars. A childhood spent watching David Attenborough documentaries fostered a passion for wildlife, conservation, and education, and after I finished my B.S., I became a Conservation Educator at a zoo, where I worked with animals of all shapes and sizes and taught educational programs. My thirst for adventures led me to a field technician position in Costa Rica banding birds (including the Turquoise-browed Motmot in this photo). And now, joining the team in Cape May as a Monarch Naturalist is a new adventure, combining my childhood love of butterflies with my desire to contribute to conservation research and continue to work outdoors. I look forward to the upcoming days spent chasing monarchs and learning more about these beautiful and incredibly tough creatures.