March 22, 2019
Missourians for Monarchs Collaborative members have risen to this acreage challenge and report nearly 305,000 acres statewide of new habitat and/or land newly managed to favor monarchs. Newly managed land for monarchs may include changes in mowing timing, the addition of prescribed burning, or other practices intended to improve habitat for monarch butterflies and other species. Since milkweed populations in new plantings or newly managed areas won’t develop for another three to four years, more research and monitoring of milkweed densities will be needed to determine progress toward our state goal of 77 million additional milkweed stems by 2036. Continued management, such as prescribed burning and invasive species control, must take place on a regular basis to maintain and encourage necessary expansion of the milkweed populations on reported acres. Please visit https://moformonarchs.org to view the Collaborative’s best management practices for monarchs.
The Collaborative is proud of the progress to date and invites all Missourians to engage in work to help save pollinators. The Collaborative will continue to execute the Missouri Monarch and Pollinator Conservation Plan with the same rigor to ensure that expansion of pollinator habitat continues at the rates needed to meet or exceed the overall goals of the plan.
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ABOUT THE MISSOURIANS FOR MONARCHS COLLABORATIVE: Missourians for Monarchs is a collaborative of citizens, conservation and agricultural organizations, government agencies, utilities and agribusinesses committed to pollinator conservation. The organization formed in 2015 as a statewide initiative to address pollinator preservation.
Missouri’s strategy for monarch butterfly conservation focuses on expanding and creating milkweed and nectar plant habitat necessary to support robust breeding and successful migration throughout the state. The Missouri Monarch and Pollinator Conservation Plan combines the efforts of multiple entities through awareness, education, volunteerism and non-regulatory, voluntary action.