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Leslie Ries and Karen Oberhauser University of Maryland Dept of Biology

A citizen army for conservation: Quantifying participatory research on monarch butterflies and its impacts on science, conservation, and behavior. Leslie Ries and Karen Oberhauser University of Maryland Dept of Biology National Socio-environmental Synthesis Center University of Minnesota

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Leslie Ries and Karen Oberhauser University of Maryland Dept of Biology

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  1. A citizen army for conservation: Quantifying participatory research on monarch butterflies and its impacts on science, conservation, and behavior Leslie Ries and Karen Oberhauser University of Maryland Dept of Biology National Socio-environmental Synthesis Center University of Minnesota Dept of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Extension Service

  2. Overview of monarch biology Stage 3: Summer breeding Stage 2: Spring migration Stage 4: Fall migration Stage 1: Overwintering

  3. Every stage of the monarch’s migratory and life cycle is monitored Adult Counts (NABA, IL, OH, FL, Shapiro, Weber) • MONITORING PROGRAMS • NABA: North American Butterfly Association count program • IL: Illinois monitoring network • OH: Ohio monitoring network • Shapiro: No. CA monitoring program • Weber: MN monitoring site • MLMP: Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project • MH: Monarch Health • JN: Journey North • WWF-Mx: World Wildlife Fund in Mexico • TMC: Thanksgiving Monarch Counts • MW: MonarchWatch • SWM: Southwest Monarchs • CR: Correo Real • CM: Cape May roost monitoring • LP: Long Point roost monitoring • PP: Peninsula Point roost monitoring migration Breeding & Fall expansion Juveniles & parasites MLMP, MH Tagging MW, SWM Fall Roosts CM, LP, PP, JN Photo: A. Davis Spring migration JN migration Fall migration JN, MW, CR Spring arrival Overwinter Colony counts (WWF-Mx, TMC)

  4. Volunteers spent ~86,000 hours monitoring monarchs in 2011 • This map shows the number of hours for monarch-centric projects only • There are multiple citizen-science projects that collect data on all adult butterflies, including monarchs, adding additional hundreds of hours of time by dedicated volunteers.

  5. Citizen-science data have had a substantial impact on scholarship Dark bars: studies using CS data Light bars: studies not using CS data

  6. Participation promotes and supports conservation activities • Over 5600 people have registered “way-stations” and many put up signs that can engage the public • Cit-sci data have been used to support many conservation activities such as site management, supporting conservation in legal battles, documenting losses due to habitat changes or natural disasters

  7. Impacts of participating on volunteer behavior from one program Participation: • Raises awareness of habitat loss and impacts on monarchs • Encourages support of conservation in many ways Number of respondents Number of respondents

  8. Conclusions Volunteers spend tens of thousands of hours each year collecting data specifically on monarchs (in addition to the tens of thousands of hours largely different volunteers spend performing general butterfly surveys) Data collected by citizen-scientists have made substantial contributions to our knowledge of monarch biology, especially migration and population dynamics Monarch volunteers are highly engaged to begin with, and participation increases their involvement in conservation and outreach There is still tremendous potential to increase monitoring and both its scientific and social impacts Thanks to the thousands of volunteers, program directors, and to many funding agencies, especially NSF.

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