In this project, MJV partners—the Xerces Society, Tallgrass Prairie Center, and the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab—are installing monarch habitat demonstration sites on farms in the agricultural Midwest. The project restores quality habitat for monarchs and engages landowners in monarch conservation through habitat creation. The sites host demonstration days to bring together participants from the local community interested in creating monarch habitat (MJV 2015b).

“These events typically begin with informational presentations by experts and practitioners who share knowledge about monarchs and other pollinators, the need for conserving them, and the steps that can be taken to do so. Each event also contains a field demonstration or activity, where participants glean first-hand experience with various steps in the process of restoring habitat, such as planting the seed or managing weeds. These sites will continue to be utilized in demonstrating the habitat restoration process in years to come and provide an opportunity for building stronger community connections” (MJV 2015a). This project was piloted in 2015 and there will be ongoing opportunities for landowners to get involved.

• Monarch Joint Venture (MJV). 2015a. Monarch Habitat on Farms in the Agricultural Midwest: An Update from the Field. http://monarchjointventure.org/news-events/news/monarch-habitat-on-farms-in-the-agricultural-midwest-an-update.
• Monarch Joint Venture (MJV). 2015b. Pollinator Habitat Demonstration Sites in Agricultural Areas. http://monarchjointventure.org/our-work/pollinator-habitat-demonstration-sites-in-agricultural-areas.

Keywords: agriculture, habitat, milkweed, restoration