Milkweed Matters

08/24/2026

Thank you Journey North for news on the Monarch migration. It’s happening! The first roost has been reported in northern Iowa! 🦋

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EqNQpQ3Kp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We've received our first fall roost reports from Iowa and Upper Michigan in recent days, as well as additional reports from Minnesota, where most of our roost observations have come from so far.

Monarch butterflies migrate alone during the day. They come down at night and gather in clusters, called roosts. Some roosts have only a handful of butterflies, while others will have hundreds or even thousands.

Roosts are a sure sign that some monarchs are migrating, but that doesn't mean all monarchs are on the move. Monarchs that emerge before about mid-August do not enter reproductive diapause as migrating monarchs do, and will continue to breed and lay eggs.

Whether you're seeing roosting monarchs or eggs and larvae, report your sightings to Journey North!

Photo: Racquel in Lake Lillian, Minnesota

08/23/2026

We’re making special seedballs for Pedal for the Prairie with Butterfly Milkweed or Asclepias tuberosa seed. We usually make our seedballs with Common Milkweed or Asclepias syriaca seed. The Glenwood Archaeological State Preserve has very little to none of this species. The seedballs will be tossed in the restored prairie and it will be a good experiment to see if we can get some Butterfly Milkweed established. With its orange flower, it should be easy to spot!

Register for Pedal for the Prairie before August 28th to order a T-shirt! 🦋

https://www.goldenhillsrcd.org/pedalfortheprairie.html

08/22/2026

The monarch migration is beginning! There has been observed roosting of butterflies in western Minnesota. If you observe a roost, make sure to log your observation on Journey North. 🦋

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ECt5cZYUd/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/20/2026

A very special thank you to Green Bellevue for sponsoring our Pedal for the Prairie family friendly bike ride to celebrate and learn about the prairie! 💚

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Lvz2qbGH7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Registration is now open for Pedal for the Prairie!

Sunday, September 13, 2026
1:00pm-4:00pm
Glenwood Archaeological State Preserve - Glenwood, Iowa

The purpose of this community bike ride is to educate about our Loess Hills prairie heritage and feature a beautiful restored prairie in Mills County at the Archeological State Preserve. Participants will help tag migrating monarchs, help restore habitat by tossing milkweed and native nectar flower seedballs, and also help collect precious prairie seed. In addition to registration, we're also seeking sponsorships.

Learn more & sign up at goldenhillsrcd.org/pedalfortheprairie

We are piloting a new event registration platform, so please let us know if you have issues registering. We appreciate your patience as we navigate the new system!

08/06/2026

Registration for Pedal for the Prairie is live! We are partnering with Golden Hills RC&D and Mills County Conservation Board for this fun educational event celebrating the prairie. Join us! 🦋🚴‍♀️🌾

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19K7tHHAcc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Registration is now open for Pedal for the Prairie!

Sunday, September 13, 2026
1:00pm-4:00pm
Glenwood Archaeological State Preserve - Glenwood, Iowa

The purpose of this community bike ride is to educate about our Loess Hills prairie heritage and feature a beautiful restored prairie in Mills County at the Archeological State Preserve. Participants will help tag migrating monarchs, help restore habitat by tossing milkweed and native nectar flower seedballs, and also help collect precious prairie seed. In addition to registration, we're also seeking sponsorships.

Learn more & sign up at goldenhillsrcd.org/pedalfortheprairie

We are piloting a new event registration platform, so please let us know if you have issues registering. We appreciate your patience as we navigate the new system!

08/02/2026

We participated in the International Monarch Blitz today at several prairie locations. It was fun and will help provide a snapshot of monarchs and milkweeds in North America. We inspected milkweeds for any sign of monarch butterflies and observations were made through Journey North on their website at journeynorth.org. The Monarch Blitz continues through August 9. 🌱🐛🦋

08/01/2026

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is happening now through August 9th. It’s easy and fun to participate by getting outside and looking for milkweed and monarchs. Report your observations to Journey North. We made a bunch of observations this morning in our home garden. 🌱🐛🦋

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

07/31/2026

The 10th International Monarch Monitoring Blitz starts today! Help scientists learn more about monarchs by logging observations of milkweeds, eggs, caterpillars, crysalis and butterflies for 10 days. Learn more about how to participate below. 🌱🐛🦋

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D7ddwhNTm/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🦋 Looking for an outdoor activity this weekend? The starts TODAY, and we need you!

🌿 Help track milkweed plants and monarchs at any of their 4 life stages: eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises or butterflies.

👩🏽‍💻 Participation is easy! Simply record your observations through one of the participating community science data platforms listed on the Monarch Blitz website.

🎯The Monarch Blitz runs from 31 July to 9 August. Whether you participate once or throughout the 10 days, every observation matters!

Find everything you need to get started 👉 https://www.cec.org/international-monarch-monitoring-blitz/

💡 Fun fact: a female monarch can lay between 300 and 400 eggs over the course of a few weeks, and they hatch within 3 to 8 days. 🥚🦋

07/27/2026

RAGBRAI is behind us and we are feeling so much gratitude for everyone that helped! We want to highlight some people that we thought were special, families that rode RAGBRAI together, people that hosted seedball workshops, people that come back year after year, and older folks (octogenarians!) that have what it takes and are so inspiring! Thank you all for a fantastic RAGBRAI!! 🦋🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴❤️

07/25/2026

Learn more about the monarch butterfly from Chip Taylor, founder of Monarch Watch and 60 Minutes.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BeBhGu62u/?mibextid=wwXIfr