Western Monarchs Need Our Help: Monarch Migration and Population Decline

Monarch butterflies cluster on eucalyptus leaves in Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. Photograph courtesy of Michael "Mike" L. Baird, bairdphotos.com by Flickr Creative Commons license.

Central Coast monarch butterfly sightings If you live on the Central Coast or visit during the fall or winter, you’ve likely seen monarch butterflies making their way along the annual migration path. Driving down the freeway, you might catch the bright orange and black flash of monarch wings as they flit as fast as they can across the road, fighting the wind whipped up by traffic. These insect athletes are built for distance rather than speed. The Western monarch’s annual migration of up to 3,000 miles is the longest on record, but their estimated average flight speed of of 5.5 …

Western Monarchs Need Our Help: Reasons for Monarch Decline and What You Can Do

January 1, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program butterfly migration citizen science help monarchs MBNEP monarch butterflies monarch butterfly monarch count monarch decline monarch grove monarch migration monarch population morro bay thanksgiving count Xerces society Blog Posts citizen science Thanksgiving Volunteering

Why western monarchs are disappearing In recent years, scientists have cited several reasons for the dramatic loss of Western monarch butterflies. A well-known and loved butterfly species that travels thousands of miles over multiple generations to escape the cold northern winters. Lack of native milkweed One reason for this reduction in numbers revolves around the loss of essential native milkweed plants along the monarchs’ migration path. These plants provide a place for the monarchs to lay their eggs and allow their larvae to feed on of them. Milkweed plants are also a food source for monarch caterpillars. By consuming …

Best Fall Hikes in Los Osos Near the Morro Bay Estuary

November 21, 2020 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program boardwalk trail broderson elfin forest estuary fall hikes femef friends of el morro elfin forest hike hikes hiking los osos MBNEP mental health monarch monarch butterflies monarch grove monarchs morro bay morro coast audubon society nature opt outside outdoors outside recreation stress relief wellness where to see monarchs Blog Posts Hiking Recreation

The land that surrounds the Morro Bay estuary is contoured by hills and valleys, studded with trees, and etched by creeks that take their time winding down to the salt marsh and entering bay. In short, it is a beautiful place that offers many opportunities to get outside and explore. A study done by Stanford researchers shows that making time to enjoy the natural spaces around us by hiking, walking, or even just visiting with friends in natural spaces can decrease stress and may lessen the risk of depression. During the study, they asked participants to take a …

Your Top Blog Posts of 2019

December 27, 2019 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program eelgrass Gena Bentall monarch butterflies morro bay morro bay estuary nudibranchs Robin Agarwal sea lions in Morro Bay sea otters sea slugs top blog posts 2019 wet weather wildlife wildlife spotlight Blog Posts

During 2019, you tuned in to the Estuary Program blog to follow field work projects, to learn about local wildlife, to track the health of the bay, and to see how you can help the estuary and watershed. Today, we’re sharing the posts readers visited most often this year across these four categories. If you haven’t read them yet, now’s a great time to catch up! Top Field Work Post Field Updates February 2019: Wet weather, Eelgrass Restoration, and Creek Monitoring This post shares rainfall totals, details the process of sediment sampling and analysis that we use, and explains …

Help Scientists Track the Dwindling Population of Monarch Butterflies

November 22, 2019 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program butterfly migration citizen science help monarchs MBNEP monarch butterflies monarch butterfly monarch count monarch decline monarch grove monarch migration monarch population morro bay thanksgiving count Xerces society Blog Posts citizen science Thanksgiving Volunteering

Monarchs come to the Central California Coast when cool weather hits Starting in October, monarch butterflies fill the branches of eucalyptus, Monterey pines, and other trees along California’s Central Coast. They cluster together high above the ground, looking much like bunches of dead leaves unless you use a spotting scope to take a closer look, or catch a flash of their black and orange wings as a butterfly moves away from its cluster to a sunny spot where it will open its wings and take in the sun’s warmth. Monarch butterflies come here to ride out the winter in …

Morro Bay Wildlife Spotlight: Monarchs are back!

November 16, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program bay-friendy gardening butterfly grove MBNEP milkweed monarch monarch butterflies monarch butterfly monarchs morro bay morro bay estuary native plants Pismo monarchs pollinators showy milkweed thanksgiving count western monarch wmtc Blog Posts Wildlife spotlight

As the month of November rolls around, the eucalyptus groves in Morro Bay State Park fill with bright orange monarch butterflies. After soaring the windstreams of the world for over 1,000 miles, these butterflies escape the cold temperatures of the Rockies and migrate to the warmer climates of our central California coast. A migration across generations One monarch butterfly alone cannot make this journey. It can take up to five generations of monarchs migrating southwest before they reach our coast. Depending on the time of year, the lifespan of a monarch butterfly varies. During the spring and summer, …