“Large scale restoration will be required to offset annual monarch breeding and migratory habitat losses. Restoration priorities, given that funds are limited, should involve regions that have a high probability of producing large numbers of monarchs. Eastern Oklahoma is such a region: a prime area for the production of first generation monarchs and a corridor for monarchs moving north out of Texas.

Monarch Watch is partnering with Native tribes in Oklahoma to restore milkweeds to large acreages in the eastern part of the state. The project will establish the capacity and infrastructure required for milkweed and native flowering plants restoration by training Native youth to produce plugs of milkweeds and native nectar sources, harvest seeds, create demonstration sites and seed production plots. Ongoing educational materials will be produced to educate future students, tribes and the general gardening community about monarch conservation. Reverence for the land is part of the Native culture and a Native-led habitat restoration program is likely to gain strong tribal support state-wide” (MJV 2015).

• Monarch Joint Venture (MJV). 2015. Monarch and Milkweed Habitat Restoration in Eastern Oklahoma. https://monarchjointventure.org/our-work/partner-projects/monarch-and-milkweed-habitat-restoration-in-eastern-oklahoma.

Keywords: habitat, milkweed, native tribes