The monarch butterfly is quite the sight to see. It is probably the most well-known butterfly, recognizable by its orange, black, and white markings.
Their population has been declining over the years, and an online tool has been created in the hopes that engagement of citizen scientists can help researchers track and conserve their habitat.
This tool is MilkweedWatch. The public can report locations of the milkweed plant, which the monarch butterfly relies upon for food and shelter throughout their reproductive cycle. While the decline of the monarch butterfly is attributable to a variety of factors, such as habitat loss in their wintering grounds in the US and Mexico, and pesticides, the decline in milkweed is also a factor. Milkweed is crucial to the monarch butterfly, and having more data and mapping out locations of these plants through MilkweedWatch is one way citizen scientists can help researchers.
MilkweedWatch is part of NatureWatch, which engages Canadians to submit observations to track the changing environment. NatureWatch was first launched in 2000 as a partnership between Environment Canada, Nature Canada, and other organizations. It has grown to include ArcticWildlifeWatch, FrogWatch, IceWatch, PlantWatch, and WormWatch.
