The 21st Annual Monarch Butterfly Festival was held at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, October 24, 2009.

It was a great event for kids of all ages. There were monarch tagging demonstrations, a live butterfly tent, people tagging, butterfly plants for sale, exhibits, slide shows, food by the Wakulla Volunteer Fire Department, guided walks, a children’s corner, and van & wagon tours. There was also a photo club booth where you could get a souvenir picture taken wearing a pair of monarch butterfly wings.

It was a beautiful, warm fall day with over 3500 visitors to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, enjoying the event and different activities. The butterfly tagging was of special interest to many who had never seen this done before.

Why do we tag Monarchs?
Many questions remain unanswered about the fall migration of the monarch population east of the Rocky Mountains . How do the monarchs move across the continent, i.e. do they move in specific directions or take certain pathways? How is the migration influenced by the weather and are there differences in the migration from year to year? We need data to answer these questions and we need your help! Only through the cooperative efforts of volunteer taggers will we be able to obtain sufficient recoveries and observations of the migration to answer these questions. Because monarchs have a certain "charisma" and a fascinating biology and because it’s fun to have an excuse to collect butterflies, this project is also a good way to introduce students to science and have them contribute to a scientific study. Through participation in this project we also hope to further interest in the conservation of habitats critical to the survival of the monarch butterfly and its magnificent migrations.

When do you tag Monarchs?
As the length of daylight shortens in mid August and September, monarchs in northern latitudes, i.e. near the Canadian border, begin to migrate. Monarchs farther south will begin their journey a few weeks later. Tagging and monitoring should begin in late August in all regions, with a concentrated effort made in September and early October. A GOOD RULE: when the wild asters, especially A. novae-angliae, goldenrod and Joe Pye weed are in bloom, the monarchs are migrating. In much of the lower Midwest , migrating monarchs are attracted in large numbers to a tall late blooming thistle (Cirsium altissimum) several species of sunflowers and other species of Asteraceae. Additionally, you can determine the estimated peak of the migration in your area based on latitude:Peak Migration Dates

The New and Improved Tagging Method
We have adopted a tagging system in which the tag is placed over the large, mitten shaped cell (discal cell) on the underside of the hindwing of the monarch.
    
This method has proven to be very effective - the rate of tag recovery seems to be higher than for monarchs tagged on the wing margins (an older method). The discal cell position is closer to the center of lift and gravity for the butterfly and will not impede flight. More importantly, this tagging method appears to be less harmful to the butterflies.

In 1997, we developed new all-weather polypropylene tags. They are numbered specifically for the each tagging season. The new tags are round (9mm in diameter) rather than oblong or rectangular as in previous years. The tagging method is quite simple - remove a tag from the backing, place it over the discal cell and position the balls of your thumb and forefinger over the discal cells on both side of the butterfly, press firmly for two seconds and release the butterfly after recording the tag number and other information on the datasheet.

How old do you have to be to do this?

Some teachers have expressed concern regarding the participation of young children (second graders and up) in the tagging project. As it turns out, tagging can actually be easier with the aid of very small finger tips! Some adults and teachers found that if they held the butterfly, the children were actually more adept at applying the tags than they were and we've even had reports of 4 year olds helping by learning how to identify the "boy and girl" butterflies.

How do you capture a butterfly?
You can purchase a good butterfly net or make one. The net should be at least 24 inches deep, allowing you to trap the butterfly in the deep end of the net without harming it. Don't bother buying a cheap "kids" net as they generally will result in damage to butterflies.

Information provided by Lou Kellenberger