About Us

The Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) 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).

MJV Mission

Recognizing that North American monarch (Danaus plexippus) conservation is a responsibility of Mexico, Canada and the US, as identified in the North American Monarch Conservation Plan, this Joint Venture will work throughout the US to conserve and protect monarch populations and their migratory phenomena by implementing science-based habitat conservation and restoration measures in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

This goal will be achieved through a combination of habitat conservation, enhancement and restoration; education; research and monitoring.

MJV Vision

The vision of this Joint Venture is abundant monarch populations that can be sustained into perpetuity and, more broadly, the promotion of monarchs as a flagship species whose conservation will sustain habitats for pollinators and other plants and animals.

MJV Partners

The MJV is a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental agencies, and academic programs working together to protect monarchs and their migration. Please see our Partners page for a list of current members.

What is a Joint Venture?

In 1986, the largest cooperative effort ever initiated to protect wetlands, waterfowl, and other wildlife was initiated with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. In a new approach to conservation, six regional, self-directed partnerships were created. These partnerships of agencies, non-profit organizations, corporations, tribes, and individuals—called Joint Ventures—implement conservation plans within a specific geographical area.

The current 18 habitat and 3 species migratory bird Joint Ventures increase the efficiency and effectiveness of conservation by bringing together the science, the people, and the resources needed to develop and implement conservation strategies. Due to their remarkable success, Joint Ventures have been generally accepted as the model for moving bird conservation forward in the 21st century.

The similar migratory nature of birds and monarchs, and their use of multiple habitats across a large landscape, make the Joint Venture model ideal for building monarch conservation efforts.