August 22, 2017
Participants at the recent monarch conservation field day enjoyed a beautiful morning, lively conversation, and hands-on activities! Wendy Wintersteen, endowed dean of ISU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, welcomed nearly 40 attendees and highlighted monarch conservation efforts happening statewide. Groups of participants rotated through field day presentations led by:
- Tori Pocius, ISU graduate student -- Monarch preference among native milkweed species
- Seth Appelgate, ISU ag specialist -- Monarch habitat establishment
- Sean McCoy, IDALS environmental specialist -- Habitat and water quality
- Dr. Bob Hartzler, ISU Extension weed scientist -- Weed management in conservation plantings
- Keith Bidne, USDA-ARS -- Monarch butterfly biology, annual migration, and life stages
Thank you to the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium members and partners, the USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant program, the Iowa State University monarch research team, and the ISU Field Extension Education Lab. We'll see you again next summer!
