You can help the monarch butterfly survive and thrive! Iowa’s location in the heart of the monarch's summer breeding range makes it possible for Iowa to lead the way in monarch conservation efforts. Consider adding monarch habitat to your property. Learn how to begin with our "Habitat How To" resource list.
5 Ways to Help Monarchs
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium recommends five actions to help the monarch population recover from recent declines.
- Take advantage of the Farm Bill programs to establish monarch breeding habitat, and use the Iowa State Monarch Research team seed mix recommendations as a reference.
- Establish a monarch waystation – with host plants for larvae and plants that are energy sources for adults.
- Use habitat management practices to maintain existing habitat in odd areas, roadsides and other right-of-ways.
- Follow federal pesticide labels and state regulations.
- Get involved in your community to promote monarch conservation.
Take a look below for additional ways to be involved in monarch conservation.
Engage with Your Community
Already have monarch habitat on your landscape? Engaging with you community is a great next step. Look to see if your neighbors have pollinator gardens. Does your town or city have a community pollinator garden? Consider sharing native seeds or plants with your neighbors, helping those in you community get excited about monarch conservation and understand the importance of pollinators, or forming a pollinator conservation group to establish community monarch habitat. Below, you can find a few additional ideas to create a network of pollinator conservation in your community.
- Mayors' Monarch Pledge
- Ask your Mayor to sign this pledge and help increase monarch conservation in your city
- Living Roadway Trust Fund
- See if your city/county manages its roadsides for pollinators and find resources to promote Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management in your area
- Dark Sky International
- Ask your city to pass lighting ordinances that help protect pollinators and other wildlife at night.
- Learn how to make your own outdoor lighting safer for pollinators.
Volunteer
Another great way to get involved in your community is through volunteering. Throughout the state, there are volunteer opportunities to support native prairie conservation, monarch butterflies, and community science. Check out these Volunteer Opportunities to help monarchs and other pollinators.
Establish Habitat
Learn more about Iowa's habitat goals to support monarch population recovery in this summary of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Strategy. You can also view the full version of the strategy.
Share these goals with your community/organization! You are welcome to print and distribute these resources. If you wish to start establishing monarch habitat now, the following are examples of some of the organizations that provide information on establishing monarch, pollinator or wildlife breeding habitat.
Agricultural Land
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- financial assistance for farmers establishing monarch habitat
- Iowa Pheasants Forever
- Native seed program and habitat establishment guidelines
- Monarch Joint Venture
- Where to find native milkweed and nectar plants
- Xerces Society
- Learn about native milkweeds and Monarch Butterflies
- Project Wingspan Habitat Survey
- Join a network of landowners with options for funding or native seed support for habitat establishment
Gardens
- Plant.Grow.Fly.
- Pollinator garden program through the Blank Park Zoo
- Monarch Mania
- Monarch program in Cerro Gordo County
- Mowing to Monarchs
- Monarch program in Dubuque County
- Jackson County has also joined this program. Email Jess Wagner for more details and to register.
- Monarch Joint Venture
- Guide for monarch gardening
- Additional Monarch Habitat Resources
- Monarch Watch Waystation Program
- Establish and register your garden
- Milkweed Market - find milkweed native to your area
- Iowa Wildlife Federation
- Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat
School Programs
- Free Milkweeds for Schools
- Application opens October 1st for the following spring
- Habitat Kit Program
- Pollinator garden kits for schools and other projects across certain regions of the US
- Grants for School Gardens
- Collection of grants to help fund school gardens
- Schoolyard Gardens
- Instructions for how to establish a pollinator garden
- Curriculums for School Gardens
- Instructions for establishing school gardens with additional curriculum ideas