PACIFIC GROVE — Locals now have a source dedicated to the western monarchs overwintering in their own backyards.
The Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance’s new website, MRMAlliance.org, is a one-stop shop for finding volunteer opportunities, educational resources, and information on creating monarch habitats.
“Everybody can make a difference,” says Dr. Emily Zefferman, an ecologist at the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County. “Some people might not have the ability to go volunteer, but maybe they can plant some native plants in their garden. Some people might not be able to do that because they’re renters, but they can join a community science project or they could educate other people about monarch butterflies.”
The Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance is a coalition of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, businesses and individuals committed to monarch conservation. They formed in 2020 in the wake of a record-breaking low of less than 2,000 butterflies sighted on the Central Coast in the annual count of western monarchs. The Resource Conservation District of Monterey County and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History spearheaded the launch of the site after a year of consultation with members.
What makes the site unique is its emphasis on Monterey County. Zefferman notes that many websites cover monarchs nationally, but now locals have a source dedicated to the western monarchs overwintering in their own backyards.
The future of the beloved, transient insects is front of mind for the Monterey community and scientists alike. Western monarchs rebounded in the years between 2021 and 2023 to 200,000 after 2020’s shocking plummet, but dwindled again to just above 9,000 in 2024.
This year’s count at the Pacific Grove monarch sanctuary was 23 as of Oct. 24.
“It’s not looking great,” Zefferman said before noting that they’re still coming in. The mid-season count, around Thanksgiving, is usually when the peak numbers come in.
The website provides information for individuals or businesses to create pollinator gardens for overwintering butterflies, complete with recommendations for sourcing native seeds, going pesticide-free, and finding funding or other assistance for gardening projects.
Another main page on the site highlights local volunteer opportunities. These include participating in citizen science initiatives for the annual count and working with local organizations to help steward monarch habitats.
Educational resources for both children and adults are also a main fixture of the new site. The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History contributed curricular modules for educators to teach people about butterfly biology and conservation. Ideas for monarch-related field trips and activities are offered as well.
“We put this website together because monarchs depend on all of us to be helping,” she says. She believes that if over time, individuals, businesses, and the government do this conservation work, Monterey County can see a population recovery. “That’s my main hope.”
