Marin Monarch Working Group
Western monarch butterflies used to be a common sight in Marin. But the number of monarchs in the county has declined by 99% since the 1980s.
Causes of this decline include climate change, habitat loss, natural predators, and pesticide use.
It’s not too late to act…but the time to act is now. Join the Marin Monarch Working Group to learn how you can help the monarch!
Who We Are
The Marin Monarch Working Group was established in 2019 to address the existential crisis facing the western monarch, one of California’s most iconic creatures.
We call on educators, biologists and botanists, gardeners and monarch lovers to join us and learn how to become involved in supporting the survival of the Western monarch butterfly.
Public Education and Advocacy
We disseminate science-based information about monarchs via our newsletter, website, social media, on-line meetings, and tabling at local events. We encourage and guide local residents’ outreach to local and state officials about policies and practices for helping monarchs.
Community Science
Community science draws upon data collected by community members trained to observe and create a record of their observations. We connect local monarch lovers with training and monitoring opportunities led by MMWG co-founder, Mia Monroe.
Habitat Restoration
We take on projects to create and restore monarch habitats in private and public spaces. And we work with other groups engaging in this important work.
What is New in the World of Marin Monarchs?
On one hand, the number of monarchs in Marin remains very low and a source of concern. On the other hand, there are a good many flitting about these days and they need all the help they can get!
Wondering what to plant? Check out these handouts for some ideas. The first two handouts are pertinent to people living more than one mile from the coast and the third is for coastal dwellers.
Backyard Garden Plants for Inland areas. This guide provides information about 16 nectar-rich plants whose flowers bloom from early spring through fall.
Example of a Butterfly Waystation and Pollinator Garden. This handout will show you how to design a garden for butterflies migrating through the county. You’ll see 12 plants that they really like, along with information about growing native milkweed from seed.
Help Monarch Butterflies in Coastal Marin by Planting Fall and Winter Blooming California Native Nectar Plants. If you live within a mile of the coast, the planting routines are different than those appropriate for inland residents. In the winter, monarchs are in a period of diapause. That is, they are resting and are not supposed to be reproducing. So they only need nectar plants that bloom in late fall, winter, and early spring. And they do NOT need milkweed, because they are not supposed to bringing caterpillars into the world until they migrate inland during the spring.
Sign Up to Take Part in the July 18 Point Reyes Butterfly Count!
The Point Reyes Butterfly Count is coming up on Saturday July 18 from 10 AM to 4 PM. You are welcome to take part — no previous experience or knowledge about butterflies needed!
The group will meet at the Bear Valley Picnic Area at Pt Reyes National Seashore. There is a $3 (cash) registration fee.
To sign up contact Ed Nute at pointreyesbutterflycount@gmail.com.
The North American Butterfly Association has run the Butterfly Count Program since 1993.
Every year on a single day there are counts of all butterflies observed at 450 sites across the US, Mexico, and Canada. Each site is a circle 15 miles in diameter.
The results are used to monitor changes in butterfly populations over the years and to study the effects on them of habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides.
For example, the NABA dataset was a primary source of information for the influential study published in 2025 in the journal Science: Rapid Butterfly Declines across the United States during the 21st Century.
A Guide to Local Butterflies and their Favorite Host Plants
Want to try your hand at identifying local butterflies? We have a handout to help you. The first page shows the different butterflies and the second page tells you which host plants they really love.
Western Monarch Updates:
Bad News AND GOOD NEWS
Bad News Item #1: The Western monarch population has declined by more than 95% since the 1990s. The 29th Western Monarch Count, conducted by the Xerces society from late November through December confirmed this ongoing trend toward extinction. Approximately 12,260 monarchs were recorded, the third-lowest tally since the count began in 1997.
Bad News Item #2: In December of 2024, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Dept of the Interior was expected to finalize a listing within one year of proposing it but did not do so. A final monarch listing is not expected until fall 2026 at the earliest.
…..AND THE GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!
On May 18th, the California Assembly passed a bill designed to strengthen protections for coastal monarch butterfly overwintering habitat in the State. The bill is now under consideration by the Senate.
The Coastal Monarch Protection Act, AB 2254, was authored by Assembly member Dawn Addis, D-Morrow Bay. Addis represents Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo counties, home to more than 450 overwintering sites.
AB 2254 would require coastal cities to include strong monarch habitat protections in their local coastal plans, and directs the California Coastal Commission to provide model policies to guide those efforts.
The Xerces Society describes this bill as “a practical, collaborative solution…to protect monarch overwintering habitat, incorporating those protections into Local Coastal Programs, and providing clear guidance to local governments while maintaining flexibility.”
Stay tuned for updates! When the bill is taken up in the Senate we will let you know how to contact your Senator to urge support for the bill.
Join our mailing list
What you will get (and what you won’t get!) when you sign up…
Everyone on the mailing list receives our monthly newsletter and an email invitation to attend occasional MMWG zoom meetings, where we share information on the status of the monarchs and plan actions to safeguard their welfare.
What you won’t get: Pesky ads and solicitations
Please consider making a donation
Everyone associated with MMWG activities works on a volunteer basis. But we welcome donations to support our projects.
Donated funds are used to cover purchases like plants for restoration projects and materials for the production of our handouts.
If you would like to contribute to MMWG, please click on the Donate button.
Anything else monarch-related that you want to learn about? Let us know!
Send comments, questions and suggestions to Susan Holloway at susandholloway@gmail.com