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TAGGING STUDIES
2022 Tag and Release in Southeast Idaho
Under the direction of Dr. David James of Washington State University--Prosser, we provided volunteers to raise, tag and release Monarchs in Southeastern Idaho as part of a study to determine the migratory corridors the Monarch uses from this geographic region. Do they travel to high elevations in Mexico? Or the coastal regions along the California coast? OR BOTH? This mystery is currently unknown. Tagging and releasing Monarchs from this region will help solve this mystery and lead to the concerted effort to populate these migratory corridors with indigenous milkweed (the only plant Monarch will host on) and nectar plants to sustain adult Monarch during their migratory trek.
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The total health of the Monarchs we raise for release is our top priority. We test each gravid female for Oe infection, and if present, we sanitize the eggs before inserting them onto live milkweed plants. We use Swan (Balloon) Milkweed from egg to 3rd instar, then move the caterpillars to Showy milkweed to finish their development. Every Monarch is raised from start to finish outside, in natural light duration and angle, and on live plants. We do not raise Monarchs in cages or on cut milkweed plants. By mid-August through September, they are ready to rise up and migrate!
2022Â TAG AND RELEASE RESULTS
520 Monarchs released, none recovered
2022 was the first year of WingsRising providing volunteers for logistical support in the field for raising, tagging, and releasing Monarchs in Southeastern Idaho. We decided to combine our tag and release efforts with our educational goals by setting up an exhibit at the 2022 Southeast Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, Idaho. For our first effort, our volunteers raised approximately 1550 Monarchs to tag and release at the fair. Unfortunately, on the second night of the fair, our exhibit was vandalized and the screens of both flight houses holding our Monarchs were slashed, allowing most of the Monarchs to escape prior to being tagged. Nevertheless, 520 Monarchs were tagged and released during the fair. None were recovered, which may indicate that the migratory corridor chosen by these Monarchs trended over harsher and more hostile geography toward Mexico rather than the more populated regions toward California. While the overall numbers of Monarchs released were far fewer than we hoped, our exhibit was attended by over 10,000 visitors during the nine days of the fair--a significant educational achievement. We had each stage of the Monarch's life cycle on display. Hundred of people volunteered to plant milkweed in their yards to help the Monarchs survive.
2023Â TAG AND RELEASE RESULTS
3990 Monarchs released, one recovered
In 2023 we decided to attempt to return to the Southeast Idaho state fair because of the wonderful educational opportunity it provided. We planned to tag the Monarchs as soon as we arrive at the fair and as they eclosed during the week to prevent the type of loss we had to vandalism the previous year. as the first year of WingsRising providing volunteers for logistical support in the field for raising, tagging, and releasing Monarchs in Southeastern Idaho. We decided to combine our tag and release efforts with our educational goals by setting up an exhibit at the 2022 Southeast Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, Idaho. For our first effort, our volunteers raised approximately 1550 Monarchs to tag and release at the fair. Unfortunately, on the second night of the fair, our exhibit was vandalized and the screens of both flight houses holding our Monarchs were slashed, allowing most of the Monarchs to escape prior to being tagged. Nevertheless, 520 Monarchs were tagged and released during the fair. None were recovered, which may indicate that the migratory corridor chosen by these Monarchs trended over harsher and more hostile geography toward Mexico rather than the more populated regions toward California. While the overall numbers of Monarchs released were far fewer than we hoped, our exhibit was attended by over 10,000 visitors during the nine days of the fair--a significant educational achievement.
2024Â PLANNED RELEASE PROGRAM
Goal Release=5,000 Monarchs
We will return again to Southeast Idaho to release Monarchs again as part of the ongoing effort to discover the Monarch's natural migration corridors from the Southeast Idaho region. However, we will no longer attempt to mix education at the Southeast Idaho State Fair with the tag and release scientific study. The fair, while an outstanding educational opportunity, introduced too many unknowns that could not be controlled, such as the vandalism experienced in the 2022 release and the mosquito abatement spray by the city of Blackfoot that killed hundreds of our Monarchs. In 2024, we will select rural release points, such as Pingree Idaho (the home of a great group of volunteers at the Butterfly Haven flight house, where the Monarch can hang out for a day or two to acclimate themselves prior to heading out on their migration journey.
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The photo above is a new planting of 1700 showy milkweed plants at our Athol, Idaho facility. By late spring 2024 these milkweed troughs will be freshly grown and ready to feed some hungry Monarchs!