Milkweed Matters

11/05/2026

Thank you KETV NewsWatch 7 for the story about radio tagged monarch butterflies! At the beginning of September over a hundred monarch butterflies were radio tagged at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Some of the butterflies tagged in Omaha have made it to Mexico!

Radio tagged butterflies can be tracked through an app that can be downloaded here: https://projectmonarch.org/

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DcPCZvNBV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Scientists have tagged nearly 1,750 monarchs to map their route and find critical stopover spots before they disappear. Here's what to know FULL STORY ⬇️

11/03/2026

We had a fun afternoon at J. Sterling Morton Elementary in Gretna, NE with three classes of second graders and the after school nature club of 5th graders. The students learned about pollinator conservation, monarch butterflies and helped restore habitat by making milkweed and native nectar flower seedballs. Thank you to the school librarian for hosting! 🦋

10/30/2026

Thank you Monarch Joint Venture! We agree that roadsides are important for pollinator habitat including the monarch butterfly! That is one of the reasons why we make thousands of milkweed and native nectar flower seedballs every year and take them to RAGBRAI, so riders can toss them along the roadsides. 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🦋

Our seedball initiative also raises awareness and helps educate students about pollinator conservation during dozens of outreach events in the community. If everyone helped a little, we could make a huge difference!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1995sje2Tb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/30/2026

Fascinating! Radio tagged monarch butterflies have arrived in Mexico after traveling across the Gulf of Mexico.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18KzyqxHGE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/28/2026

It’s Oct 28th and there are still migrating monarchs moving through our area in SW Iowa. This beautiful female was seen in our home garden just now. The late blooming flowers are zinnias and Mexican sunflower. Both of these annual flowers bloom right up to the frost and are a wonderful addition to a pollinator garden! 🦋

10/25/2026

Hear from the experts on the status of Monarch conservation. 🦋

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DvJ72NrSm/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Join Monarch Joint Venture’s Executive Director, Wendy Caldwell, for the State of Monarch Conservation, emceed by MJV Board Member Court Whelan. We'll explore the latest population trends, emerging science, key challenges facing monarchs, and the conservation efforts shaping their future across North America.

Date, Time, & Details:

Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 PM CST
30 minute presentation and 15 min Q&A session

Register at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/thestateofmonarchconservation/event/mjv2026/

10/24/2026

It’s October 24th and there are still migrating monarch butterflies moving through the area in SW Iowa! 😍

These butterflies are the super generation and they will live 8-9 months. They will fly all the way to Mexico to the mountainous regions west of Mexico City. They have never been there before, but they know where to go. They will over winter in the Oyamel fir forests and in the spring, the same butterflies will breed. They must find milkweed to lay their eggs and their offspring will begin the migration north populating North America with these amazing butterflies.

In the fall they rely on nectar from flowers to fuel them on their journey. I’m so glad we didn’t have a frost last week and the flowers in our garden are still blooming!

The monarch butterfly population has declined by over 80% in the last 25 years due to habitat loss and climate change. So many people and organizations are helping in small and large ways. We can all help a little by planting milkweed and nectar flowers in our gardens and eliminating pesticides! 🌱🐛🦋

10/17/2026

We had a fun and busy two days at Pony Creek Nature Center with over 180 second graders from Mills County Iowa. This was their annual fall field trip and we provided the learning station on seeds. The students learned about why seeds are important, how they are distributed in nature and helped clean milkweed pods so we could collect the seed for our seedball initiative. The same students will return to the nature center in the spring and will make milkweed seedballs to help restore pollinator habitat. Many thanks to the teachers, our volunteers and Mills County Conservation Board! So much fun! 🍁🍂🦋

09/23/2026

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is partnering with Loess Hills Preservation Society and City of Council Bluffs to host an Open House at Vincent Bluff Nature Preserve in Council Bluffs, IA on Friday September 25th, 3-5pm.

The event will showcase plans to expand and permanently protect this precious Loess Hills prairie bluff in the middle of Council Bluffs. Please support this effort and donate if you are able, 🌾🦋🐝

Here is a link to the event and learn more about the Vincent Bluff expansion below.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ed5h7Mfg8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19sqApLG2f/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/14/2026

Thank you to everyone that came out to the Pedal for the Prairie today! It was a good turnout even though it was wet. People came and had a good time in the beautiful Glenwood Archaeological State Preserve. Some biked, some hiked and everyone tossed alot of milkweed seedballs! Thank you to PATH - Pollinator Alliance of the Heartland, Mills County Master Gardeners and Brad Rasmussen for being there. Thank you to our volunteers and partners Golden Hills RC&D and Mills County Conservation Board! So much fun! 🦋🌾🚴‍♂️