“Groundswell Coastal Ecology works for a more vibrant and ecologically sustainable coastline by helping local communities to become participatory stakeholders in their environment. To do this [they] identify, prioritize, promote, and implement coastal restoration projects that will increase biodiversity and coastal resiliency while maximizing community outreach. [Their] projects target degraded coastlines that receive high visitor-ship and are in need of ecological stewardship.

[They] work with local restoration practitioners, native plant growers and coordinate participation of local K-12 schools in the entire restoration process” (Groundswell Coastal Ecology 2016). The Santa Cruz Monarch Enhancement Project strives to develop  comprehensive management plans for the overwintering groves in Santa Cruz. Different aspects of this project include collecting OE samples for the Monarch Health citizen science project and identifying protocols for nectar-plant enhancement in areas surrounding the overwintering groves. Environmental conditions at the overwintering sites will also be assessed, using a grid design and repeated sampling of set variables (Holt 2016).

• Groundswell Coastal Ecology. 2016. Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Consulted online 25 March 2016 at: saveourplanet.org/projects/all/groundswell-coastal-ecology.
• Holly Holt. 2016. Monarch Joint Venture, Science Coordinator. Personal communication.

Keywords: citizen science, overwintering, western monarchs