Monarch Butterfly Monitoring Workshop Coming to Boise

Nature enthusiasts are invited to participate in a two-day Monarch Butterfly Monitoring Workshop coming to Boise June 19-20 at the Boise Main Public Library. The workshop is a joint partnership with Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, and Monarch Joint Venture. Participants will be introduced to monarch biology and life history, habitat requirements, citizen science monitoring programs, and stewardship practices to conserve this unique and fascinating insect. The workshop will include classroom and field activities, including a visit to monarch and milkweed sites in the Boise area. Experts in the field of monarch study from Monarch Joint Venture, the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab, and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will instruct the workshop, certain to launch a lifelong passion for monarchs and other pollinators. The workshop will be held Friday, June 19, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 20, 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the William F. Hayes Memorial Auditorium of the Boise Main Public Library, 715 S. Capitol Blvd. in downtown Boise. Workshop registration is limited to 50 participants, so early registration is encouraged. Register online at http://www.monarchjointventure.org/news-events/events/. The registration fee is $25/participant and includes all instruction materials, lunch on June 20th, and transportation to the field monitoring site. Snacks and beverages will be provided throughout the workshop. The workshop is sponsored by Monarch Joint Venture, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Wild Birds Unlimited of Boise, Boise Parks & Recreation, and the Sagebrush Steppe Chapter of Idaho Master Naturalists. For more information about the workshop, contact Beth Waterbury at (208) 756-2271, extension 245, or beth.waterbury@idfg.idaho.gov.