Passport to Texas

Monarch butterfly

This is Passport to Texas

You don’t have to know much about milkweeds to take part in the new Texas Milkweeds and Monarchs Citizen Science Project on iNaturalist.org.

06— We have experts that are going to be looking at these observations and identifying those [plants].

Milkweeds, important to the monarch butterfly’s life cycle, are declining, as are monarchs. Biologist, Ben Hutchins, who helps coordinate the project for TPWD, says once the data’s collected, and answers to questions such as where certain species grow – or not – and which ones monarchs utilize most, biologists can start to develop a detailed management plan.

38— To be honest, we’re still kind of feeling out what is going to be Texas’ response to monarch conservation. Right now we’re kind of in a data collection phase. So, how this information is used when we start developing monarch conservation plans and we start to take conservation action – we’re not sure. But, we want to know as much as possible. So that we can say, ‘hey, if you’re in this particular habitat, here are some species that may be appropriate to add to your seed mix. Or, if we’re looking at trying to advocate large-scale production of seeds so that there are more species of milkweed available for consumers to plant, we’d like to know potentially, what should we focus on.

Get in on the ground floor of this citizen science project, which will be incorporated into Texas Park’s and Wildlife’s Texas Nature Trackers, and make a difference for monarchs in Texas. Find out how on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

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

Monarch on a milkweed plant.

Monarch Week: Observing Milkweeds for Monarchs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas boasts 38 species of native milkweed, and you may share your observations of the plants with the Texas Milkweeds and Monarchs Citizen Science Project.

07— Whether you’re in the Panhandle, whether you’re in the Trans Pecos – wherever you are in Texas – you can contribute to this project.

Ben Hutchins helps coordinate the program for Texas Parks and Wildlife; he says questions they hope your data will answer include where milkweeds do and don’t grow, and how their decline affects the monarch butterfly’s decline, as it is an important food source for its caterpillars.

38— A couple of other questions that we would like to answer: which plants are monarchs using? Which ones seem to be most important for these monarch species? We know for sure that monarchs use several of our native milkweed species. But there are a few others – particularly the less common ones – that we really don’t know how important those are for monarchs. We also would like to get a handle on how much effort are Texans putting into planting milkweeds? We really want to know where those patches are in people’s yards, or in wildflower centers, or city parks. We’re really curious where about where people are planting milkweeds, and whether those are being used by monarchs.

Tomorrow: how researchers plan to use the those answers to help manage monarchs and milkweeds.

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

Monarchs at their overwintering site in Mexico.

Texas Milkweeds & Monarchs on iNaturalist.com Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

Monarch on milkweed plant.

Monarch Week: Milkweed and Monarchs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Why are monarch butterflies declining?

06— The current thought is that it is actually several different factors that are contributing to the decline that we’re seeing.

Ben Hutchins is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s invertebrate biologist. Deforestation of the species’ winter roosts in Mexico, unusually cold winters, and prolonged drought along their migratory path, all have negative effects.

13— And then, finally, what this project is addressing is this widespread decline in availability of milkweed plants. That’s due to a couple things: predominantly increased use of certain herbicides.

Texas Milkweeds and Monarchs is a new citizen science project where folks keep an eye out for the state’s 38 different species of milkweeds –vital to the monarch’s lifecycle – and then then share their observations on the website iNaturalist.org.

21— We have experts that are going to be looking at these observations and identifying those. We’re also working on a guide to Texas milkweeds, and that guide is going to be freely available online. It’s going to have pictures of all of the different species of milkweeds, distribution maps—so you know if you’re in the right part of the state—and also some of the key characteristics.

How you can get involved helping monarchs – that’s tomorrow.

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

Monarch butterflies on hand.

Conservation: The Value of Monarch Butterflies Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The gorgeous monarch butterfly is on the decline; efforts are afoot to conserve them. Yet, they’re not great pollinators, or a significant food source for other critters, so is being pretty reason enough to keep them around?

11—I think it’s important not to de-emphasize how important this is. If you’re ever out on a Texas river in the fall, and you have hundreds or thousands of monarchs coming through – that’s a fabulous natural phenomenon.

Ben Hutchins makes a good point. He is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s invertebrate biologist, and says the insects have a practical value in Mexico where they overwinter.

06— Overwintering monarchs are a really important source of economic income as tourists come from around the world to see them.

Conserving monarchs also benefits other Texas species.

30—Monarch conservation, benefits a whole suite of other species. So, for example, if you’re managing a landscape to benefit monarchs, you’re also going to be benefitting many other pollinators. They also benefit a host of larger species. For example, if you’re managing habitat – keeping it open as a prairie or savannah – that’s going to be benefitting upland bird species like quail; so there’s really an economic incentive of for being conscious of monarchs when we’re managing landscapes.

Tomorrow: a new citizen science project to help monarchs.

Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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