Families can help catch and tag Monarch Butterflies preparing for their 2,000-mile journey to Mexico at educational events in the Des Moines area. The peak season for migration in Iowa is September 6th through September 20th. Tagging the Monarch is so important, because unfortunately, butterfly numbers are declining due to overuse of pesticides, habitat loss and climate change. So, tracking them is not just a fun activity but also contributes to a healthy environment.
Monarch Tagging – Polk County Conservation
Come learn about one of the world’s most talked about butterflies and what makes them so unique with Polk County Conservation. Try your hand at catching and tagging monarchs as they migrate back to their winter home in Mexico.
When & Where:
Saturday, August 26th, 2017 at Chichaqua Longhouse, Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt, Maxwell 10:00 am
Tuesday, September 9th, 2017 at Chichaqua Longhouse, Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt, Maxwell 1:00 pm
Monarch Tagging – Warren County Conservation Board
Discover more about monarch butterflies, their unusual lifestyle and life cycle and their miraculous migration to Mexico. A Warren County Conservation Naturalist will teach you how to catch and handle a monarch, determine gender, and properly tag them in the wild as part of a national research project. All monarchs will be released after they are tagged. Bring a butterfly net if you have one, or share a park net if you don’t. Fun for the whole family! Please register by the day before. To register, call (515) 961-6169 or register on-line.
When & Where:
Sunday, September 10th, 2017 at Annett Nature Center, Indianola 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Saturday, September 16th, 2017 at Buxton Park, Indianola 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Monarch Tagging (Nature on Call Programming) – Dallas County Conservation
Upon registering for this program Dallas County Conservation will obtain your name and contact information so that when the big push of migrating Monarchs move south through Dallas County they will be able to invite you to their tagging program. Past tagging programs have targeted weekday early evening and weekend mornings to connect migrating monarchs and registered taggers. The program will share of the mysteries of this migration and engage you in the tagging research project of the Monarch Watch Project. Net in hand, you will wander the prairies of Kuehn and Voas, capture a monarch, record the field data, tag and release a miracle. Registration required—To register please call the office at (515) 465-3577.
When & Where:
Weeks of Sept. 11, 18 and 25, 2017 (You will be contacted about specific dates.) at Kuehn Conservation Area and Voas Conservation Area
Monarch Madness – Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge
Calling all citizen scientists! Help collect and tag butterflies on their migration south through the refuge! Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is looking for volunteers to assist refuge staff in capturing, tagging, and releasing monarch butterflies. The tags help them, and the Monarch Watch program, learn more about these amazing insects’ long migration to Mexico and back. Pre-registration is required, and limited to the first 100 participants.
When & Where:
Saturday, September 16th, 2017 at Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Monarch Festival – Blank Park Zoo
Join Plant.Grow.Fly. and the Blank Park Zoo’s partners as they highlight the miraculous migration of the monarch butterfly. They will have a fun-filled day of monarch-themed crafts and activities and even a Bug Parade, where kids can dress up as their favorite insect!
When & Where:
Sunday, September 17th, 2017 Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Will your family help tag Monarch butterflies this fall in Des Moines? Share with us in the Comments below.
