Monarch Butterfly Tagging Program - Friends of Sears Island, Maine

Photo by Ashley Megquier

Friends of Sears Island will be hosting two free programs on monarch butterflies with Serena Cole. The first program will be held Friday, September 7^th, from 1:00-3:00pm for adults. This program does not require advance registration and anyone interested in attending can gather at the island gate by 1:00pm. The second program will be held after-school on Monday, September 10^th, from 4:00-5:30pm for children ages 6-12 and an accompanying adult. This program will be part of FOSI’s Science Squad program for youth, and requires advance registration at https://friendsofsearsisland.org/sept-10-science-squad-registration/, as space is limited. UPDATE August 30: The Science Squad program for Children is now full. You may still submit a registration request to be placed on the waiting list.

During both programs, Cole will teach program attendees about monarch life cycles, habitat, migration patterns, and will lead the group on a hike to the milkweed field on Sears Island, a certified Monarch Waystation. At the field, participants will have the opportunity to look for butterflies and carefully net and assist with tagging them as part of the Monarch Watch program, which tracks the annual butterfly migration. FOSI is also looking for a few volunteers to continue tagging monarchs on Sears Island for several weeks during peak monarch migration. Those who attend one of these programs will be considered trained and can request sticker tags and a data sheet. Please note, tag quantities are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to willing volunteers.

Serena Cole has been a biology and environmental educator for 30 years. She has led student science groups to Costa Rica and been involved with citizen science projects at Schoodic Point Educational Research Center. Sears Island is on Sears Island Road off Route 1 just east of Searsport. Participants should park along the causeway at the end of the road and meet at the island gate. Bring water, a snack, and insect repellent. Please no pets on guided walks. In the event of steady rain, the programs will be cancelled, but there is a rain date of September 12^th for the Science Squad butterfly program for kids. For more information and updates, visit www.friendsofsearsisland.org or http://facebook.com/friendsofsearsisland. To learn more about Monarch Watch, visit www.monarchwatch.org.