Monarch Joint Venture

The monarch migration is one of nature’s most spectacular events. North American monarchs travel up to an astonishing 3,000 miles in an annual migration from their summer breeding habitat to overwintering grounds.

The Monarch Joint Venture is a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic programs that are working together to support and coordinate efforts to protect the monarch migration across the lower 48 United States. The MJV is committed to a science-based approach to monarch conservation work, guided by the North American Monarch Conservation Plan (2008).

The monarch migration was listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an endangered phenomenon in 1983. In 2010, the World Wildlife Fund included monarchs on its list of the “Top 10 to Watch” in 2010: species that are thought to be in need of close monitoring and protection.

Habitat Conservation & Enhancement

Monarch caterpillars need milkweed to grow and develop. Monarch butterflies need nectar to give them energy, and overwintering sites in which to rest. The MJV works to improve and maintain habitat for monarchs in each stage of their life cycle.

Education

It is only through knowledge that people will come to love and protect creatures great and small. The MJV is working to share information about monarchs, their migration, and opportunities to protect them, with teachers, land managers and decision makers.

Research & Monitoring

Through scientific research and monitoring, we will be able to better understand North American monarch population trends and the factors influencing their decline. The MJV is supporting the expansion of monarch monitoring programs, data analyses and research to inform habitat restoration efforts.