Monarch Research Project
Join us for the Linn Landowners Forum on Sunday, September 29, 2019. Registration open now.
The mission of the Monarch Research Project (MRP) is to restore pollinator habitat while re‑establishing the monarch population.
Partnering with ISU researchers, MRP’s Pollinator Zones™ are committed to expand native habitat for pollinators on public and private lands in Linn County, Iowa. Learn more.
Our objective is to develop Monarch Zones® (MZ)—homes, cities, and counties that are committed to our goal of repopulating the butterfly population. We have established close to 200 Monarch Zones in and around Linn County, Iowa. Learn more.
The MRP is working with the eastern Iowa governments and citizens to establish monarch and habitat models that can be replicated in other communities. Learn more.
Update of a Monarch 6×6 BioTent on a naturally growing plot of…
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Guest post by Jabe Gonder, MRS Summer Research Intern. 6×6 milkweed plot…
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Orlan Love in the Orlan Love Prairie, Squaw Creek State Park. On…
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Kallie is hard at work at the MRS testing for OE: Ophryocystis…
read more“What you are doing is audacious in the best sense of the word: You’re trying something difficult, and you’re doing it for good reasons.”
“The Monarch Research Project is a prime example of an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach. Thank you for having the energy and vision required for saving the monarch butterfly.”
“As a first-time participant, I’d like to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed the project. What a kick to watch the caterpillars devour the milkweed! I released 29 butterflies, and my only complaint is that it went too fast.”
“Alliant Energy is proud to partner with the Monarch Research Project and welcomes the opportunity to support its mission. We are dedicated to improving the habitat for the monarch butterfly and are planting pollinator habitat on our properties where possible to help fortify the migratory pathway of the monarch.”
“MRP’s strategy for solving the decrease in native habitat and the dramatic reduction in the monarch population is to engage and energize a broad group of Linn County landowners to make environmentally sound use of our lands. Our hope is that our efforts set an example of the positive impact we all can have on the environment.”