Monarch Butterfly Larva Monitoring: a Nationwide Citizen Science Initiative

The Monarch Butterfly Larval Monitoring project is a collaborative Citizen Science Project in which informal science education (ISE) institutions participate in research to measure the distribution and abundance of monarch butterfly larvae throughout the US, addressing the lack of knowledge about the breeding phase of the annual cycle. This project seeks to create links among ISE institutions (nature centers, museums, state and national parks, and environmental learning centers) from across the US, and also between these institutions and university scientists, citizens, and K-12 educators. The project will involve professional development for ISE staff, training for volunteer citizen scientists, web-based communication and data analysis, and dissemination of results via museum displays, a newsletter and a project website. It will provide people from a variety of backgrounds an opportunity to share in the process and outcome of scientific discovery, thus improving public understanding of ecological principles and the process of scientific research. In addition, it will provide a meaningful science education program for nature centers, museums, and parks. The results will be available to participants, other members of their communities, and the public as a whole, and will contribute to basic knowledge of monarch butterfly ecology and to conservation and policy decisions regarding this insect. The evaluation was conducted by Carol Freeman, Research Associate, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, with assistance from Shari Couch, Research Assistant. The goals of the evaluation were: 1. To assess the effectiveness of the Train the Trainer sessions in a) providing understanding of monarch and milkweed biology, b) teaching the monitoring protocol, c) understanding the goals of the monitoring project, and d) preparing trainers for training volunteers. 2. To assess the effectiveness of the Nature Center training sessions of volunteers 3. To assess the effectiveness of the website and listservs for communication among participants.

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