Questions
- What are the dates for this year’s Western Monarch Count?
- Why do the Thanksgiving and New Year’s Counts happen this time of year?
- I want to participate! How do I learn more and receive training?
- How many times do volunteers need to visit their site during the overwintering season?
- How many monarchs can I expect to see at an overwintering site?
- How do volunteers find and count monarchs?
- What forms do volunteers need to complete?
- Where can I learn about overwintering sites near me?
- What is done with the information volunteers collect?
- I know of an overwintering site that’s not on your map. What do I do with this information?
- Do volunteers tag monarchs?
- Can I bring friends along to monitor sites with me?
- I want to go see monarchs! What are some of the best sites for a visitor?
- How can I learn more about monarchs and their migration?
- What are the dates for this year’s Western Monarch Count?
The Western Monarch Count is comprised of two official monitoring periods, the Thanksgiving Count and New Year’s Count. The Thanksgiving Count runs for three weeks centered on the fourth Thursday of November, and the New Year’s Count runs for two weeks starting the weekend before January 1st. Check the homepage for this year’s Count dates!
- Why do the Thanksgiving and New Year’s Counts happen this time of year?
By mid to late November most monarch butterflies have arrived to their overwintering locations and are getting settled in for the season. By having a set time period every year around Thanksgiving, we are able to compare counts at all sites and determine if the average number of monarchs counted per site is increasing or declining each year. The New Year’s count in late December/early January helps compare the size of the late season population which may have changed during the winter due to movement between sites, mortality, storms, etc. The New Year’s Count is shorter than the Thanksgiving Count to minimize variability when counting later in the season.
- I want to participate! How do I learn more and receive training?
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the Western Monarch Count! The “Help Count Monarchs” tab on this website is the best place to start. Please begin by reviewing the Step by Step Monitoring Guide to learn about the responsibilities, commitment ask, and processes for new and returning Western Monarch Count volunteers. If the program still sounds like a good fit, please contact your regional coordinator to get started on your training. Trainings are periodically available through Xerces or our partner organizations. Online training videos are available here. Check out our Events page for information on trainings and workshops throughout California. New volunteers must attend a training and/or connect with a regional coordinator before conducting a count on their own. Additionally, use our official Facebook page to coordinate with others who have experience monitoring monarchs and organize group outings.
- How many times do volunteers need to visit their site during the overwintering season?
The minimum we request from volunteers is one visit to each of their assigned site(s) during the Thanksgiving Count period. However, given the dynamic nature of overwintering groves we highly encourage volunteers to visit multiple times throughout the overwintering season (usually October through March). Ideally, volunteers will monitor their sites during both the Thanksgiving Count and New Year’s Count periods. If a volunteer is aware that they can visit their site(s) only once during the season, they should inform their regional coordinator and prioritize monitoring during the Thanksgiving Count.
- How many monarchs can I expect to see at an overwintering site?
This varies greatly from site to site and from year to year. Some sites may have hundreds or thousands of monarchs, whereas others may have only a handful (and sometimes none at all!). While it’s exciting to see large numbers of monarchs at an overwintering site, knowing about the smaller sites is also incredibly important, and even your observations of zero monarchs are valuable for better understanding monarch population trends, habitat utilization and habitat suitability over time.
- How do volunteers find and count monarchs?
Western Monarch Count volunteers follow a standard protocol to count monarchs at overwintering sites. It’s important to understand that although we call this a “monarch count”, in reality it’s more of a “monarch estimate”. Typically, a pair of volunteers will visit an overwintering site in the early morning before temperatures exceed 13 °C or 55 °F to ensure that monarch butterflies remain in clusters from the night before (it’s very difficult to count monarchs while they in flight!). The volunteers might start by walking or “scouting” the overwintering site using binoculars to identify if and where monarchs are present. Volunteers who monitor the same sites each year tend to get very familiar with when and where monarchs tend to cluster, but this doesn’t mean that overwintering monarchs are easy to spot (they aren’t!) or that the butterflies stay in the same spot all season (they don’t!). When there’s only a handful of monarchs scattered throughout a site, the volunteers may be able to count each individual butterfly. However, when dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of monarchs are present, this method is much too overwhelming; standard practice is to count a small cluster of butterflies and then extrapolate that number out to how many similarly-sized clusters can be observed at the site. Volunteers are instructed to independently count clusters from several different angles, then take the average of their counts and compare it with their partner’s. It’s easy to forget that monarch clusters are three-dimensional and often have many butterflies tucked in and around leaves, branches, or bark. Additionally, volunteers are strongly encouraged to monitor sites with at least one other person so that they can compare numbers and techniques and arrive at a more accurate estimate.
- What forms do volunteers need to complete?
Volunteers should fill out a monarch count form for each site they monitor during the overwintering season. A new monarch count form should be completed for each visit, even if no monarchs are observed. Additionally, as part of our effort to understand the microhabitat needs and conservation status of monarch butterflies in the west, volunteers are also encouraged to fill out a short one-page habitat assessment at each site. Habitat assessments only need to be completed once per season and provide a snapshot of site conditions, threats, and other pertinent information. By collecting these data each year, we can gain a better understanding of what characteristics are important to overwintering monarchs and which sites might be have the greatest needs for protection or restoration.
- Where can I learn about overwintering sites near me?
Use our interactive map to locate and explore western monarch overwintering sites near you. Click within a site boundary to pull up basic information about that site’s count history, location, site ID #, site name, etc.
- What is done with the information volunteers collect?
Volunteers collect data that inform our understanding of the status of western monarchs and their habitat! Without these data, we would not know that the population has been in decline since monitoring efforts began in 1997. When a volunteer sends in their data sheets, the data are entered into Xerces’ western monarch overwintering database. This database houses information on all known monarch overwintering sites in California and is used to better protect and understand monarchs in the West. In addition, all counts conducted during the official Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count and New Year’s Count are added, compiled, and posted annually to the Data page on this website, usually between January and February. This dataset has been used to determine changes in monarch populations over time in multiple studies. Check out the Publications page to find them.
- I know of an overwintering site that’s not on your map. What do I do with this information?
If you are aware of a western monarch overwintering site that is not on this map, please email the Xerces Society at [email protected]. Please include a description of the site location and attach any images or other documentation of overwintering/clustering monarchs.
- Do volunteers tag monarchs?
Tagging monarchs is not part of the monarch count protocol. If you are interested in tagging monarchs, contact the folks at Monarch Alert to learn more. Please note that, at this time, a permit is required to handle wild monarchs in the state of California. It is illegal to handle or rear monarchs in California without such a permit (CDFW).
- Can I bring friends along to monitor sites with me?
Most likely, yes! Volunteers can bring friends along to sites that are publicly accessible and do not require site access coordination. If a site is privately managed or requires coordination with the land manager, be sure you obtain written permission that it is OK for your friends to join. Additionally, please make sure that everyone in your group has reviewed and agrees to follow the Code of Conduct and survey protocols, especially if they plan to help with the Western Monarch Count. If a friend of yours would like to become a volunteer for the Western Monarch Count, please refer them to the third question-and-answer on this page.
- I want to go see monarchs! What are some of the best sites for a visitor?
Monarchs overwinter at hundreds of sites along the California coastline. Some of the largest publicly accessible sites include the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary in Monterey County, CA, Natural Bridges State Beach Monarch Grove in Santa Cruz County, CA, the Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove and Morro Bay State Park in San Luis Obispo County, CA, and Ellwood Mesa Open Space in Santa Barbara County, CA. You can also read about where to witness western monarch butterflies in California’s State Parks.
- How can I learn more about monarchs and their migration?
There is a plethora of monarch information available under “Resources” on this website and on the internet. If you’re interested in more information on the western monarch migration, check out the Xerces Society and Monarch Joint Venture.
