Informational factsheets recently released by the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative. This is a series of three new factsheets on monarch butterfly conservation relevant to farmers and general audiences. A description of each new factsheet can be found below:
- Improving farm profits through conservation practices: This factsheet provides information to farmers about how to convert revenue-negative areas of farms into monarch habitat. There can be financial incentives to make these changes on farms, so all parties can benefit.
- What’s the matter with monarchs? (And why do they matter?): This factsheet makes the case for monarchs, why they’re important, and why conservation efforts implemented now are so important (spoiler: when/if monarchs are listed as endangered, it’ll likely have a big impact on agriculture in the Midwest).
- Monarch Habitat: All it takes is sun, seeds, and elbow grease!: This factsheet covers the basics of planting for and creating monarch habitat. While folks tend to think of milkweed (obviously important!), monarch butterflies need a wide range of nectar plants to fuel their migration in late summer. Diversity is key for monarch plantings!
The Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative has a number of other great resources available on their resources page, including many resources relevant to farmers.
-PJ Liesch; Extension Entomologist (pliesch@wisc.edu)
