ABOUT US
The Monarch Program was created in 1990 to foster a growing interest from the public in monarch butterflies. We are a research and education organization that uses the monarch (Danaus plexippus) as an educational model for learning more about plant and animal relationships. In addition, we study its unique behavior and follow its phenomenal migration patterns to the coast of California and to the Transverse Neovolcanic Belt of Mountains west of Mexico City.
Our main facility is in Encinitas, 20 miles north of San Diego, California. Here we study the behavior and biology of various native butterflies in our Butterfly Vivarium, conduct classroom field trips in our museum, cultivate plants in a greenhouse, rear butterfly livestock, and hold special events. Our programs in the field include monitoring overwintering habitats, tracking tagged monarchs, monitoring spring and summer milkweed colonies, and studying butterfly species and their host plants.
Webmaster: Ken Rockwell