🚨 Update on Monarch Population

First sightings recorded by Journey North 11 June 2024.

What's the Latest on the Monarchs?

Dr. Chip Taylor with Monarch Watch released an update on how the monarchs are doing this year. Here are a few snippets from what he has to say:

"The expectations were low at the beginning of this breeding season. The overwintering numbers were the second lowest in the record (0.9ha), and it was reasonable to expect low numbers of monarchs to return from Mexico in March. It was easy to envision that, like in 2013 (the lowest population recorded at 0.67ha), it would take several years for the population to recover."
"As expected, the early numbers of returnees were low, but they were early and that was a positive sign that the population might recover."

"At this date in the middle of June, it seems safe to say that the numbers indicate that the growth of the population this year is comparable to that of most populations since 2015. The recovery to this point is nothing short of extraordinary and is a testament to the monarch’s resilience."

"The Question Now is...What's Ahead?"

If you're as fascinated with monarchs as we are, then you might enjoy these other past observations from Dr. Taylor:

Pollinator Party July 14 in Tulsa!

Join Okies for Monarchs at The Pump Bar in Tulsa this Sunday, July 14 from 1-5pm for a Sunday full of butterflies, blooms, and beer! Try our “Save the Monarchs” Pollinator Pilsner and grab a limited edition pint glass and other rad monarch merch from our friends at Anthem Brewing. Bring seeds and take seeds at the Seed Swap. Pick up some milkweed and native wildflowers for your garden at the plant sale from Duck Creek Farms. It’s a mixed bag of fun for everyone!

Round up your seed collection, friends and family… and come on over to The Pump Bar in Tulsa... it's time for a Pollinator Party in T-town!

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Professional Growers Workshop

Calling all professional native plant growers! Here is a chance to learn from the experts who have been doing it for decades. Get the inside scoop on successful techniques for operating a nursery, stratification, seed harvesting and sourcing, and hard to propagate OK native plants. All of this plus more will be happening at the Oklahoma Native Plant Network's Professional Growers Workshop on July 25 at the Horticulture Education Center at The Botanic Gardens at OSU in Stillwater.

The Marie Antoinette Phenomenon
in Monarch Butterflies

Did you know there is such a thing as headless monarchs? Neither did we.

"Still flying around, albeit clumsily and often in one direction, these headless butterflies seemingly always have pristine wings, adding to the mystery. The ability of a monarch butterfly to continue flying without its head first came to my attention in Nebraska in 2017."

Join Dr. Emily A. Geest with the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden as she sheds light on this bizarre phenomenon.

Head This Way

Upcoming Events

Now Through September 2, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Bugs at Tulsa Zoo
Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa

Fri, July 5, 8 am - 10 am
Oklahoma River Clean Sweep
Wiley Post Park Event Center, Oklahoma City

Fri, July 5, 10:30 am - 11 am
First Friday Horticulture Tour
Tulsa Botanic Garden, Tulsa

Sat, July 6, 9 am - 11 am
Plant Walk: Botany in the City
Deep Fork River, Oklahoma City

Wed, July 10, 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Ethnobotany Hike
Martin Park Nature Center, Oklahoma City

Sun, July 14, 10 am - 2 pm
Garden Party: Two Year Anniversary
Native Plants, Oklahoma City

Sun, July 14, 1 pm - 5 pm
Okies for Monarchs Pollinator Party in Tulsa!
The Pump, Tulsa

Sat, July 20, 9 am - 3 pm
Seed to Supper
OSU Extension Office, Tulsa

Tue, July 23, 1 pm - 2 pm
Monarch Research and Restoration Highlights: Collaborations in the West
Webinar, internet

Thu, July 25, 9 am - 1 pm
ONPN Professional Growers Workshop
The Botanic Garden Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Tue, July 30, 8 am - 5 pm
Crossroads Conference
Autry Technology Center, Enid

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Okies for Monarchs is an initiative of the Oklahoma Monarch & Pollinator Collaborative and the Oklahoma Monarch Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Flutter over to our web site at okiesformonarchs.org

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PO Box 54952
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73154
USA