Map of Overwintering Sites
Use the interactive map below to explore western monarch overwintering sites.
Overwintering sites are special groves of trees or shrubs where monarch butterflies routinely shelter for the winter, often clustering in sizable numbers. Monarchs may be found at these sites from October through February. However, as monarchs decline across North America, so too are their numbers at overwintering sites. Some sites remain active from year-to-year, while others are used sporadically.
Instructions
Select the checkboxes for the types of sites you want to look at (e.g., verified, potential, etc.), then enter a site name, site ID #, or geographic location in the search bar to quickly navigate to an area of interest. Zoom in and out of the map using the “+” and “-” buttons or the scroll-wheel on your mouse. To move around the landscape, click-and-drag your cursor on the map. For a popup with site-specific details, click within an overwintering site boundary; you will need to be zoomed in to do this.
Find terminology definitions below the map.
Access:
Please note that some sites shown on this map do not allow public access; many sites are privately owned or have sensitive resources. For a list of public sites to visit, click here.
LINK: Click here
Volunteers may not trespass. When visiting or monitoring a monarch overwintering site, look carefully for markers of private land, such as fences, hedges that define property boundaries, gates whether locked or unlocked, and posted signs prohibiting trespass. Respect the landowner’s property rights and do not trespass.
If you wander onto private property, please leave immediately when you are asked even if your community science activity is incomplete or you know the activity has been conducted on that property before. If you are uncertain as to whether the property is public or private, assume it is private and stay on the public roads adjoining the property. Private land may only be accessed with permission of the landowner and, for your own protection from trespass claims, the permission should be written.
Terminology
LINK: Xerces Society
LINK: Find your regional coordinator
Contact Us: Do you know about a site that’s not included on the map? Do you want additional information about a particular site? Email our team at [email protected].
LINK: [email protected]
Notice: Below is a list of 4 important links included on this page.
1. Click here
3. Find your regional coordinator
Please note that while screen readers have made significant strides, they may still lack full support for optimal web accessibility.
Use the interactive map below to explore western monarch overwintering sites.
Overwintering sites are special groves of trees or shrubs where monarch butterflies routinely shelter for the winter, often clustering in sizable numbers. Monarchs may be found at these sites from October through February. However, as monarchs decline across North America, so too are their numbers at overwintering sites. Some sites remain active from year-to-year, while others are used sporadically.
Instructions
Select the checkboxes for the types of sites you want to look at (e.g., verified, potential, etc.), then enter a site name, site ID #, or geographic location in the search bar to quickly navigate to an area of interest. Zoom in and out of the map using the “+” and “-” buttons or the scroll-wheel on your mouse. To move around the landscape, click-and-drag your cursor on the map. For a popup with site-specific details, click within an overwintering site boundary; you will need to be zoomed in to do this.
Find terminology definitions below the map.
Access:
Please note that some sites shown on this map do not allow public access; many sites are privately owned or have sensitive resources. For a list of public sites to visit, click here.
Volunteers may not trespass. When visiting or monitoring a monarch overwintering site, look carefully for markers of private land, such as fences, hedges that define property boundaries, gates whether locked or unlocked, and posted signs prohibiting trespass. Respect the landowner’s property rights and do not trespass.
If you wander onto private property, please leave immediately when you are asked even if your community science activity is incomplete or you know the activity has been conducted on that property before. If you are uncertain as to whether the property is public or private, assume it is private and stay on the public roads adjoining the property. Private land may only be accessed with permission of the landowner and, for your own protection from trespass claims, the permission should be written.
Terminology
- Verified Sites: Monarch overwintering clusters have been reliably recorded at these sites.
- Potential Sites: Monarchs may inhabit these sites, but clustering has not been verified.
- Sensitive Sites: A few sites are labeled as “Sensitive Sites” and the exact site location is obscured within a larger buffered area due to privacy concerns from the land manager and/or ecological or cultural resource sensitivities at the site. In some cases, a buffered area encompasses multiple sensitive sites.
- Destroyed Sites (In Progress): These sites have been destroyed and are no longer expected to host overwintering monarchs in their current state. This map layer is still in development; additional sites will be updated with the “Destroyed” designation as more expert-verified information is reviewed.
- Regional Coordinators: These individuals work with their communities and the Xerces Society to guide local volunteer effort for the Western Monarch Count. Regional coordinators are great sources of information and oftentimes have years of experience counting monarchs and assessing overwintering habitat in their region. Find your regional coordinator!
- Boundary Quality: This field represents our confidence in the accuracy of the monarch overwintering site boundaries shown in the map. Various amounts of information and consultations with site experts contributed to the way these site boundaries were drawn.
- High Information Boundary: Monarch experts reviewed these overwintering sites and have high or somewhat high confidence in the accuracy of these site boundaries; One or more local site expert(s) were consulted in the revision of these boundaries.
- Low Information Boundary: Monarch experts reviewed these overwintering sites and are somewhat unconfident or unconfident in the accuracy of the boundaries due to limited information/data available; A local site expert may or may not have been consulted in the revision of these boundaries.
- Boundary Not Yet Reviewed: These overwintering site boundaries have not been extensively reviewed by monarch experts, local site experts or digitizers; Locations may or may not be accurate.
Contact Us: Do you know about a site that’s not included on the map? Do you want additional information about a particular site? Email our team at [email protected].
