About Project Monarch Health
Project Monarch Health is a community science project in which volunteers sample wild monarch butterflies to help track the spread of a protozoan parasite across North America.
Our mission is to understand host -parasite interactions in monarchs and to enhance awareness of monarch biology and conservation through the coupling of community members and scientists.
Backyard Ecology Podcast
Dr. Altizer and Kade Donaldson, Co-Directors of Project Monarch Health, were guests recently on Backyard Ecology, a podcast hosted by wildlife biologist Shannon Trimboli. The talk centers mainly around monarch parasites, conservation, and other closely-related topics. "Monarch Butterflies and OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha)" can be found on their website here.
Request a sampling kit
This project runs every year and kits are available throughout the year, every year. Send an email
to monarchhealth@gmail.com with your mailing address to request a kit! We welcome new volunteers, especially in areas where the map shows we need more samples.
Check our our data sheet and instructions at the bottom of this page.
Calling all volunteers in the southern US
Participants in the southern coastal US, including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Carolinas - please report any winter monarch sightings to Journey North! Check out this news release for more details: https://gadnr.org/publics-help-needed-reporting-wintering-monarchs