The Conservation@Home and Conservation@Work programs encourage property owners to protect our monarchs and other wildlife by providing habitat and protecting our waterways. We can all do something!
Monarch Butterflies – is there any good news?
The monarch butterfly is all over the news; CBS News, Good Morning America, National Geographic, National Wildlife Fund, World Wildlife Fund and the New York Times just to name a few. The official overwintering numbers were recently released indicating the lowest population in the 20 years of recording. The reasons are many, and as most problems in nature, the answers are complex. I am an optimist! I fully grasp the serious nature and complexity of the problem. This will not deter me from focusing on what I can do. What can you do??? 
First, you have control over your own land. You can choose to plant milkweed and other native plants, and garden pesticide free. Second, you can choose to educate everyone you can about monarch conservation and what they can do. Third, you can choose to raise monarchs in your home. Estimates are that less than 10% of all monarch eggs laid mature to adulthood. Fourth, you can use your voting rights to elect officials whom you believe will make good choices for the environment. Lastly, contact not only elected officials, but also appointed officials to educate them on environmental issues. The more we know, the better decisions one can make. 
For more information about monarch conservation check out these websites: www.monarchwatch.org Monarch Watch, University of Kansas, is a program dedicated to education, conservation and research. Monarch Watch also provides tags for the fall monarch migration. www.learner.org/jnorth Journey North is an engaging website which tracks monarchs as well as other migrations. http://www.mlmp.org Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, University of Minnesota www.monarchlab.umn.edu Monarch Lab, University of Minnesota Monarch Lab is part of Monarch in the Classroom, a program which promotes inquiry-based science, conservation and research for K-12 teachers and students. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/monarchbutterfly/ Monarch butterfly in North America website is a gateway to news, information, activities and resources about the biology and conservation of this fascinating insect. http://monarch.pwnet.org/ Monarch Live, a distance learning adventure. The goals and objectives are to meet national science standards and promote action through education and awareness. http://monarchparasites.org Monarch Health is a project in which volunteers sample monarch butterflies to help track the spread of a protozoan parasite across North America Submitted by: Pat Miller, Monarch Conservation Specialist, Monarch Watch.