Monarch Watch Update - September 10, 2001
http://www.MonarchWatch.org
monarch@ku.edu
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Contents:
1) Welcome!
2) Gulliver's Gift Shop - now open!
5) Gulliver's Travels - submit your monarch sightings!
10) Tagging Events
12) How to Unsubscribe from this Update
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1) Welcome to Monarch Watch's Update List!
You are receiving this email because you have provided Monarch Watch with your email address at some point and expressed interest in receiving updates from us. If you do not wish to receive these periodic (probably monthly) email updates or feel that you were subscribed in error, please see the unsubscribe information at the end of this message.
Have you somehow missed (or misplaced ;-) an update? Now you can find all of the updates archived online at
http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update
If you know someone that you think might be interested in receiving these email updates from Monarch Watch with monarch news, special announcements, tips on raising monarchs in your classroom, monarch tagging information and a whole lot more, please send them on over to
http://www.MonarchWatch.org/signup
to join our new Monarch-Watch-Update email list - it's easy!
Monarch Watch (http://www.MonarchWatch.org) is a not-for-profit educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas. We run a Monarch tagging program and offer Monarch Rearing Kits, Monarch Tagging Kits, and other educational/promotional materials that allow you to actively experience the monarch life cycle and its spectacular fall migration.If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us anytime!
Your friends at Monarch Watch
http://www.MonarchWatch.org
monarch@ku.edu
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2) Gulliver's Gift Shop - now open!
After many requests, and lots of hard work, our new online storefront is now open. Gulliver’s Gift Shop is filled with our beautiful t-shirts, posters, books and more. You can also find our ‘Butterfly Condo’, the best rearing enclosure available today, at Gulliver’s Gift Shop. We have included some excellent butterfly books, and nature watching gear to provide you a good selection of top quality products.
Gulliver’s Gift Shop was produced through our partnership with HomeEarth, a company that helps non-profits, like Monarch Watch, with creating safe and secure shopping online.
You'll find a link to Gulliver’s Gift Shop on our homepage at
As an introduction to Gulliver’s Gift Shop please accept this coupon for 15% off your first purchase. At checkout, enter coupon # MW-00045 into the coupon box and all of your products will be discounted 15%.
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A big THANK YOU goes out to VR Toolbox, Inc. - the company has recently donated a suite of QuickTime VR software tools to Monarch Watch. Using our digital camera, Kaidan tripod head (see last month's update), and The VR Worx software, we will be able to create all kinds of educational (and fun!) panoramas and/or QTVR movies to add to add to our website. As we mentioned last month, we have great plans for this technology, including lots of "scenes" during our next Adopt-a-Classroom (http://www.monarchwatch.org/conserve/adopt.htm) trip to the schools near the Monarch Reserve in Mexico.
Check out the Gallery on the VR Toolbox, Inc. website at
http://www.vrtoolbox.com/gallery.html
to see the kinds of things we plan on doing and if you have suggestions for panoramas or QTVR movies/object/scenes you'd like to see on our site, please let us know!
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The leading edge of the migration is expected to progress southward from approximately 39 degrees N on the 10th to 36:50 on the 17th. The migration is expected to peak approximately 10 days after the arrival of the front at each latitude. Of course, these are just predictions based on long term trends and they don't incorporate the proximate weather conditions and the predictions themselves may need to be refined as additional data becomes available. In fact, the butterflies may be a day or two ahead of these predictions in Kansas and Missouri at this time. In order to help us track the migration and test the basic theory of the migration, please report what you see in your area via the digital Monarch Watch mapping site on KanCRN (http://kancrn.org/monarch/wave/). Alternatively, you can send your observations to us via email at monarch@ku.edu. Thank you!
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5) Gulliver's Travels - submit your monarch sightings!
Through a collaboration with the KanCRN project (http://kancrn.org) we have been experimenting with new internet mapping technologies. With your help, we will be able to map the Monarch migration as it passes through the U.S. each spring and fall, in real-time. You can now fill out a form at
http://kancrn.org/monarch/wave/
and submit your migratory monarch observations. We will then add your data to your fellow Monarch Watchers' data and map the results. The more people who submit data, the more accurate (and colorful) the map will be. You will be able to return at any time to see the current monarch progression map as well as all past maps. We will also be creating an animated image gallery, showing various map renditions of the seasonal migrations. To help create the map, we need three pieces of information from you: where, when, and what you identified.
For our purposes, a migratory monarch can be identified in one of two ways:
1. Flight over line of sight - One or more monarchs fly in a straight direction for at least ten seconds or more then 100 feet.
2. Small group - Five or more monarchs flying in a Southwest direction (straight line) or roosting together at any one time.
If the migration has already started in your area and you have the first date you made your observation, please record that date on the form. The map will be available beginning September 11th and from that point on it will be updated as data is submitted. We need to begin capturing the migration data now so that we can establish the pattern of the migration for the rest of the season.
Thank you for your help!
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Several members have asked why we only distribute 250,000 tags each year since the demand for tags seems to exceed this number. The short answer is economics - the tagging program costs at least $60,000 to run each year and we only recover half this amount from memberships, extra tags, etc. If we increase the number of tags, we lose more money. In other words, the tagging program is not self supporting and to pay for this program we have to sell educational and promotional items and solicit contributions from our members. Monarch Watch is not financially supported by the University, federal grants, foundations or corporations and we only receive $2,000 per year from the state of Kansas. At the beginning of the year we were NEGATIVE $32,000 and we are still recovering from this deficit. Even though the demand for tags might be higher this year (and the years to follow), we simply cannot take on additional costs until our financial situation stabilizes.
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We don't want to sound like a broken record, broken record, broken record ;-)
but with all of the new subscribers to this Update List we really need to keep publishing this message. We know there are sources of funding out there and hope that someone receiving this update will "know someone who knows someone" that will be able to match us up with the funding that we need to continue our mission of education, conservation and research.
As many of you now know, Monarch Watch continues to be financially challenged. We are just scraping by and are still searching for corporate or foundation support. Due to a shortfall in income we are attempting to enlarge our base of support through collaborative arrangements with other organizations. Any leads for potential sources of funding you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
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As we mentioned in last month's update, due to the lack of substantial funding and the fact that our overnight shipping costs have nearly tripled without warning, we are forced to increase the prices of our educational and promotional items :-( The new pricing is now in effect; however, we will continue to accept older 2001 order forms through the end of this year.
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As you may or may not know, Monarch Watch is right smack in the middle of its busiest season. Each day last week we received at least 50 phone messages, 30 faxes, 60 pieces of mail, and 80 email messages. On top of that, in order to ship nearly 8,000 monarch caterpillars the "office staff" had to lend a helping hand to the Critter Crew. As a result, we're running a little behind on our correspondence so please understand if we don't get right back to you ;-)
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15 September 2001 - Baker-Haskell Wetlands, Lawrence, KS
Monarch Watch, in collaboration with the Jayhawk Audubon Society, Kansas Sierra Club, Kansas University Environmental Studies Student Association and the Lawrence Free State Biology Club, is sponsoring a monarch tagging event at the Baker-Haskell Wetlands on Saturday 15 September from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Participants should use the 31st street entrance to the wetlands. Approximately 100 nets will be available but participants should bring their own if possible. Tags and instructions in how to tag will be provided. This is a great event for families. The flowers are lush and tall in the wetlands and taggers should dress accordingly. We expect large numbers of monarchs to be present. This event commemorates Monarch Watch's tenth year.
16 September 2001 - Geauga Park District, Chardon, OH
Noon - 3:00 p.m. Woods Edge Shelter, Swine Creek Reservation
*Program starts at noon with short talk in shelter on life cycle and migration. Participants may eat their lunch during this time.
*Netting in field north of shelter from 12:30-3:00 p.m. Participants may join in at any time.
*Nets provided, OK to bring your own.
*No insect collecting for removal from park.
*Naturalist or volunteer does tagging, person who netted butterfly will have name recorded in order for us to contact in the event of a recovery of butterfly along migration route or in Mexico wintering area. If you have questions, please contact John Kolar at the Geauga Park District, 285-2222 ext 5420.
22 September 2001 - Central Park, New York, NY
Monarch Watch 2001 will be held at the Belvedere Castle in Central Park in New York city on the afternoon of Saturday, 22 September. The event will celebrate the annual monarch migration with talks on the current status of monarch populations and conservation efforts. Representatives of the Mexican government and World Wildlife Fund Mexico will be among the speakers. Entertainment will be provided and the event will conclude with the tagging and release of monarchs. This event is co-sponsored by Monarch Watch, MasterVision, the American Ethical Union Union and the New York City Parks Department.
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I'm sorry to say that there isn't much to report on this front. The Season Summary is in my hands and since the last update I've been able to dedicate about an hour to working on it :-( I may have to go into hiding and put everything else on the back burner, but I plan to have everything delivered to the printer this month. I'll keep you posted - and, again, thank you for your patience. - Jim
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12) How to Unsubscribe from this Update
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Thanks!
Monarch Watch
http://www.MonarchWatch.org
monarch@ku.edu
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Monarch Watch (888) TAGGING - or - (785) 864-4441
monarch@ku.edu