The 95 percent decline of the Western Monarch butterfly in 20 years is shocking. It is also an opportunity for anyone to help this beautiful and import pollinator. Fortunately, students, gardeners and anyone who wants to help become a citizen scientists can and are making a meaningful difference in helping experts understand the problems underlying the Monarch decline and restoring small plots of land with native nectar producing plants to increase habitat.
The key to restoration and developing a citizen scientist network is education. Students quickly become engaged citizen scientists when they study pollinators like the Monarch butterfly and get excited. We’ve seen this at Sisters Middle School and we want to share our success with you at our free Western Monarch and Pollinator Spring Migration Celebration on May 5, 2018 at Sisters Middle School in Sisters, Oregon 97759.
Agenda:
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates is hosting a pre-conference
round-table discussion where everyone may share stories of success in helping Monarchs
and pollinators in their area.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Main Conference includes the following program:
¨ Keynote speaker: Entomologist Dr. David James of Washington State University, founder of the Western Monarch tagging and tracking program will bring us all up to date.
¨ Featured speaker: Robert Coffan, co-founder of Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates, is part of a team currently working on the largest single Monarch habitat restoration project in the western United States. He will share just why and how they are doing it.
¨ Special guest and MC: Sisters Middle School Special Education teacher Susie Werts used the study of Monarch butterflies to enhance student reading and writing skills while rearing monarch caterpillars and releasing tagged Monarch butterflies. She will share some of what she has learned from this remarkable project.
¨ Featured video: Journey’s Flight, The Video Storybook, produced by Angela Street. Angela captured the essence of the book Journey’s Flight, written by Sisters Middle School students, into a delightful short video with music and student art.
Please join us and others throughout the Northwest who care about the plight of the monarch butterfly and all pollinators, as we come together to celebrate at our Western Monarch and Pollinator Spring Migration Celebration at Sisters Middle School on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
Please email your questions and registration to Jean at butterflyprogram@aol.com
