Agenda Doc 28435

Milkweed Monitoring in Nova Scotia: A summary of year one 

Carter E. Feltham1, Brad Toms1, Jeffie McNeil1 

1Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Kempt, NS  

The monarch (Danaus plexippus), an iconic species known for its great migration has recently been classified as Endangered. This status change prompted by the consistently low population estimates from the overwintering population in Mexico. With several generations produced each year consistent monitoring throughout their migration route is critical to understand what threats endanger them. This could reveal important temporal and spatial relationships to aid recovery actions. This study began in 2022 by monitoring both wild and cultivated patches of milkweed for monarch use. In this study we present the first-year results of monitoring milkweed in Nova Scotia. 

Keywords: Milkweed, Monarch, Monitoring, Caterpillar, Conservation 

Presentation type: Poster