As monarchs return home, Iowa State University encourages all-ages involvement in conservation
The overwintering period is coming to a close in Mexico for monarch butterflies, as the Midwestern United States begins to warm up for the summer. Homeowners and farmers alike, across the region, might already be seeing glimpses of the butterflies here and there in front porch gardens or on the farm, while gassing up the planter.
In just several weeks, monarchs will have completed their migration northwards, and will be looking for sprouting milkweed to lay their eggs for the next generation of butterflies. Entomologists and researchers at Iowa State University have been busy thus far this season, reaching out to the public to plant monarch habitat wherever they can, and even encouraging families to get creative in rearing baby caterpillars, themselves.
Laura Jesse Iles, Entomologist at Iowa State University, is featured in a series of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach videos on rearing monarchs, from eggs to their release as butterflies. Iles describes her love of bugs and other insects originated when she was a small child, caring for monarchs.
"I always tell people it was rearing monarchs when I was a little kid that inspired my truly lifelong interest in nature and in insects," Iles said.
The series of five videos are under five minutes each, and illustrate how backyard and park explorers can go about finding monarch eggs and baby caterpillars, feed them, care for them and eventually release them into the wild to continue the life cycle.
Iles said that raising monarch caterpillars is a relatively easy project for adults to do with kids, and teaches them about insect life cycles and the importance of conservation.
In addition to demonstrating monarch rearing, Iowa State has been heavily involved in promoting monarch and pollinator conservation. Last year, Iowa State concluded its spring and summer youth program Monarchs on the Move, through the 4-H Ag Innovators Experience. The program toured the entire state, presenting youth with the opportunity to learn about the monarch life cycle, how to conserve habitat and the importance of pollinators to the nation's food supply.
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium at Iowa State has also been very active, aiding pork producers in converting unused land to prairie habitat, and helping farmers realize habitat on unfarmed acres.
Those interested in viewing the video series can follow the link here.