How to Tag & Track Monarchs for Conservation: Video

Given the alarming 80% decline in monarch butterfly populations over the last 50 years, monitoring monarch butterflies has become increasingly critical for conservation efforts.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Kristen Baum, the director of Monarch Watch, is a professor in the University of Kansas Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, holding a PhD in entomology. She is also a senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. Dr. Baum’s research focuses on the impact of land use and management practices on pollinators, with a special emphasis on native bees and monarch butterflies.

With over 25 years of experience working with monarchs and other pollinators in the Great Plains, Dr. Baum has contributed to numerous state, regional, and national initiatives aimed at promoting pollinator conservation.

Her work in research and Monarch Watch is deeply intertwined; she tags monarchs as part of her studies and has even established a monarch waystation at her home.