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Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count

Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count

Volunteers count monarchs in Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, December 2021 (Photo: Candy Sarikonda)
Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallies nearly 250,000 butterflies
24. January 2022
Monarchs at a private overwintering site in Monterey county, CA
Monarchs at the Pacific Grove Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, CA
The Bounciness of Butterflies
12. November 2021
A man and a woman stand nest to each other in front of a grove of old trees.
Remembering Bill Shepard, a Great Friend of Butterflies
28. January 2021
"Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Data 1997-2020 shows that despite a strong volunteer effort, monarch numbers are at the lowest point recorded since the count started in 1997"
Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act
19. January 2021
A handful of monarch butterflies with wings closed rest on the long gray-green leaves of eucalyptus
Monarch Population in California Spirals to Another Record Low
30. November 2020
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs Overwintering in Mexico Down 53%
13. March 2020
A monarch with large pieces missing from both wings perches on an evergreen branch.
New Year’s Count Finds Continued Decline of Monarchs Overwintering in California
4. March 2020
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Thanksgiving Count Shows Western Monarchs Need Our Help More than Ever
23. January 2020
In this close-up photo, a monarch perches atop a cluster of small, white and pink flowers. The image is so detailed, you can see the eye of the monarch, and the scales on its wings.
Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits Designed to Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
10. December 2019
With wings spread, a monarch butterfly basks on a milkweed plant among the stems of a tulle marsh.
Western Monarchs: Notes from the Field
21. October 2019
A group of scientists taking a photo together, including Emma Pelton, our monarch specialist.
Photo Essay: Trinational Monarch Meeting and Exploring Mexico’s Monarch Overwintering Sites
7. March 2019
A western monarch rests on the side of a tree with furrowed bark.
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Confirms Decline, Trends Seen in Previous Years
5. February 2019
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Record Low Number of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California—They Need Your Help!
17. January 2019
A monarch, with its wings folded, showing the duller orange side, clings to a rough tree trunk in a dimly-lit landscape.
Early Thanksgiving Counts Show a Critically Low Monarch Population in California
29. November 2018
A bright orange monarch with a torn wing perches on some pink milkweed blossoms in a grassy, dry landscape.
Western Monarch Numbers Expected to Be Low this Year
15. November 2018
A lone monarch in shadow perches atop fluffy, pink blossoms.
Very Low Numbers of Monarchs Overwintering in California may Reflect an Unusual Fall
2. February 2018
Monarchs cluster on an evergreen tree branch.
2017 Monarch Numbers Are Down, Lengthening a Worrying Trend
9. February 2017
Multiple clusters of monarchs gather on the branches of trees.
Five Lesser-Known Places to See Monarchs Overwintering in California
23. November 2016