Research Encounters on CA BLM Lands

Pollinator Habitat and a Changing Climate: Long-Term Monitoring on BLM Lands

By: Luke Swanson, Sarah Gomes, Aimie Olson and Sierra Teemsma

Monarch caterpillar (Danaus Plexippus) eating a milkweed leaf

The western monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) embark on a remarkable journey across the West, as they travel from the California (CA) coast to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado each year. Much of what we know is based where humans are, with many observations around urban centers. However, there is still much to be learned about how monarchs use public lands, where exactly they go and when, and how that changes over time.  The  Monarch Joint Venture  (MJV) has embarked on a journey of our own to document breeding habitat on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in California. 2023 marks year one of a three-year project, titled Pollinator Habitat and a Changing Climate: Long-Term Monitoring on BLM Lands (L22AS00213). This project enhances our collective understanding of monarchs in the West, which can help inform land management decisions and pollinator conservation more broadly. This project also highlights the importance of public lands, as these natural spaces provide habitat for the monarchs and countless other species. Our wonderful Field Technicians, Sierra Teemsma and Aimie Olson, spent 24 weeks scouting the state for monarchs and milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) to establish long-term monitoring plots. In each location, they conducted Milkweed and Blooming Plant surveys using the  Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP)  and documented all incidental monarch observations as well. Aimie and Sierra saw the world through the eyes of a butterfly by living and working in monarch habitat for the past 6 months. They traveled over 14,000 miles, traversing diverse terrain that ranged from -282 feet to 11,000 feet in elevation. They experienced temperature extremes from a low of 29°F to a high of over 115°F and dodged a variety of weather conditions, including tropical storms, haboobs, intense heat-waves and more. Through their surveys, they identified blooming plants from a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, high & low deserts, alkali sinks, mixed coniferous forests, oak savannas, chaparral, scrubland, freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, and more. Aimie and Sierra have traveled a remarkable journey of their own this season; it’s a testament to their own perseverance as well as the monarch butterflies’, as they too persist through the same conditions.  MJV is proud to present the highlights from this year’s field season and we look forward to continuing this work in the coming years. Scroll below to follow Aimie and Sierra along their travels and read firsthand accounts from their research encounters on CA BLM lands. 

~ Sarah Gomes, Western Science Coordinator (MJV)

Note: Unless otherwise specified, all photos were taken by Sierra Teemsma and Aimie Olson

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our field crew was only able to visit 12 out of 14 BLM field offices this year. However, we look forward to learning more about the remaining two field offices (Arcata and Needles) from next year's crews.

For any questions, please contact monitoring@monarchjointventure.org

For more information, visit  monarchjointventure.org 

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through the collaboration of many individuals. MJV would like to acknowledge several groups & individuals who supported this monitoring in various ways:

We’d like to thank Luke Swanson for his behind the scenes work bringing this Story Map to life.

We give special thanks to the BLM for funding this project, to Christina Lund and Kara Barron for their administrative support, and to the many BLM biologists who provided local recommendations, on-the-ground support, and continued collaboration.

We thank Aimie and Sierra for their hard work surveying this season, and for beautifully articulating their journey. We also give many thanks to the various MJV staff who supported this project in many ways, including logistical support, data review, educational content, and others.

We are additionally grateful for the past MJV surveys, community science observations, and local recommendations that guided us in the right direction.