Monarch Migration New Lavin!

Many students track the incredible migration of the monarchs on Monarch Watch, a Web site launched by scientists at the University of Kansas. Monarch Watch is under the "watchful" eye of entomologist Chip Taylor. The project was initiated as a research project, but soon the educational potential of the migration became obvious.

"It became apparent that the monarch is a charismatic insect that captures the imagination of students," says Taylor. "We can use the magnificent biology of this insect to introduce students to a wide range of scientific concepts."

"Young students can track the migration, learn about the life cycle of a butterfly, and learn to tell the difference between a male and a female monarch," says Taylor. "At the high school level, students can learn about all those things plus population genetics, population control, aerodynamics, and a host of other sophisticated science concepts."

"Monarch Watch has three basic and simple objectives," says Taylor. The objectives are:

Science education. The monarch is an extraordinary insect. It can be used to reach a lot of people and to teach a wide range of science concepts.
Research. Among Monarch Watch's research projects are five student/scientist partnerships.
Conservation. The monarch migration is an endangered phenomena, according to scientists. Much of the blame for the monarch's predicament rests with the state of the Mexican economy. The human population continues to grow in areas where the monarch is known to nest (eleven sites on a half-dozen mountaintops have been identified as major nesting sites), and this increasing population puts added stress on the area's natural resources. The governments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico must work together to find workable solutions to cutting down the forests that are the monarch's winter home, Taylor explains.

WANT TO TAG MONARCHS?

This year, students in thousands of classrooms will follow the migration. Many will get involved in Monarch Watch's Tagging program, which distributes thousands of all-weather polypropylene tags -- most of them to teachers. Each tag is marked with a code number and the message "Return to the University of Kansas" and the university address. When a monarch is returned to the university, Taylor can tell from the code number on the tag exactly which class tagged the butterfly.

"Those who get involved in Monarch Watch are getting involved in scientific research too," adds Taylor. "Data from each year's migration and from previous migrations are analyzed. When the analysis is complete, a report is issued."

And scientists have students to thank for a good part of that data!

Information about tagging monarchs, raising (rearing) monarchs in the classroom, a monarch curriculum, and monarch supplies and posters -- and much more -- is available on the Monarch Watch Web site.