Passport to Texas

 

This is Passport to Texas

You’ll document milkweed species as a volunteer with the Texas Milkweeds and Monarch Citizen Science project.

07— What this project is addressing is, this widespread decline in availability in milkweed plants.

Monarch butterflies, also in decline, depend on these plants, says Ben Hutchins, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s invertebrate biologist.

12— There are a couple of different genera; these genera are used by monarch caterpillars. And those caterpillars only feed on these milkweed species.

No matter where you live in Texas, you’ll find milkweeds; when you do, share your observations at iNaturalist.org.

31— Wherever you happen to see a milkweed, we ask that you take your phone or take a camera, and snap a picture. When you upload that picture, then, onto the website, there are a couple of questions that we have: where were you, when did you make this observation, was it out in a park or was it in a garden, and also – how many were there? Just a rough estimate. And finally, did you notice any monarchs using that plant. Make the observation whenever you see the plant; but, if there are monarchs using it, we would be interested to know that.

Find a milkweed identification guide on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. Tomorrow – questions researchers hope this project answers.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.