Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, United States
Multiple factors are associated with the decline of the eastern North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population, including loss of habitat and pesticide use in agricultural landscapes of the Midwest. Our Iowa State University team collaborated with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium to develop a state-wide conservation plan. The Consortium is comprised of over 50 member organizations whose mission is to enhance the monarch butterfly population through efforts of farmers, private citizens, and their organizations. Meaningful collaboration established a responsive research strategy and a pipeline to transfer new scientific knowledge for advancing conservation practices at state, regional and national scales.
