Monarch Tag & Release Event

Today's event was a great success! Thank you to all who attended "The Great Migration:  Monarch Tag and Release". We estimate that there were 180+ people in attendance and we released more than 225 tagged Monarch butterflies to begin their journey south to their winter home in Mexico. Thank you to all who attended, all that brought their Monarchs to share in the release, and to the organizers for an excellent presentation!  Photos and more to follow later!

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Photo of tagged Monarch butterfly courtesy of Karla McGrail

The Great Migration: 
Monarch Tag and Release

Sunday, September 6th
1:00 p.m. 

Hall-Perrine room at Thomas Commons building, Cornell College in Mount Vernon,

Click for map

Help us turn the skies orange and black at this "Monarchs in Eastern Iowa" tag and release event.  There will be VERY cool special guests at the event .... we are sworn to secrecy! Bring butterflies so we can make a huge statement with this launching that can be seen across the campus and Mount Vernon. We hope for a very good turnout at this event!

These home-raised butterflies will return to the same mountains in Mexico - mostly to the same trees - where their great grandparents overwintered last year. They'll travel to a place they've never been before, flying as high as 10,000 feet, facing many obstacles on their way.

PRESENTERS: Andria Cossolotto, history of tagging; Patty Ankrum, photos from her trip to Mexico last February to visit the semi-hibernating monarchs; and Gordon Lavergne, demonstration on how to tag and log tag data for Monarch Watch.

Butterflies and tags are optional - not required. But if you have newly emerged butterflies, bring as many as can safely transport.

MEMBERS:  If you have Monarch Watch tags, please bring. If you don't, tagging is optional, but tags are available with request of a 50 cent donation.  You may also order tags through Monarch Watch Shop.  Find out more!  

This event is open to the public, all ages and skill level. Help us send off these beautiful creatures on their journey to Mexico!

Sponsored by the Cornell College Cole Library.

MEI News

Some news from Monarchs in Eastern Iowa group:

NATIONAL COVERAGE:  We are pleased that the Des Moines Register video/article has been picked up by a number of news organizations across the country. We ARE getting out our message about saving Monarchs!  Thank you!

LAKE McBRIDE:  In addition, one of our members has been given permission by Lake McBride State Park near Solon, Iowa to plant milkweed in grassy, prairie areas around the lake. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENT:  ALL ABOUT MONARCHS
August 16, 2015 ... 6:30 p.m.
Eastside Recycling Center
2401 Scott Blvd. SE
Iowa City, IA

Learn about milkweed, monarchs, and more! If you are interested in learning how to care for Monarchs--from the egg through release stages, please join us.

Come listen and learn from speakers Sydney Algreen, Johson County Conservation, Marcie Evans, MA, monarch enthusiast, and Katherine Ryan Hogendorn, monarch enthusiast spearheading a project to increase the monarch population at Lake MacBride.

We will also have a panel from Monarchs in Eastern Iowa for Q&A after the event! There will be a limited number of milkweeds, eggs and caterpillars given out to those who are interested.
 If you need more information, contact Kathy at 319-624-5240.

Click the image to enlarge it.

Another video from our RAGBRAI event

July 24, 2015