Monarch Butterfly Science w/ Dr. Andy Davis |

This week on the Good Growing podcast we learn about monarch butterfly science from a leading scientist in the field of monarch butterflies, Dr. Andy Davis from University of Georgia. We learn some hard truths and ask do the monarch butterflies really need to be saved? What roles should humans have in monarch butterfly protection? All this and more (like cicadas and Joro spiders) in this week’s Good Growing podcast.
Plus check out Brodie Dunn’s newest podcast Voice of the Wild. Brodie plays us short clips of recorded wildlife sounds and talks about what we are hearing. Voice of the Wild covers mostly birds, but Brodie’s latest episode is about the American sycamore tree. extension.illinois.edu/podcas...
Dr. Davis’ blog www.monarchscience.org/
Engage with monarch scientists on the Thoughtful Monarch Facebook page. / 565065511941624
Skip to what you want to know:
0:35 Hey Ken! Latest cicada report. What's happening in Jacksonville?
2:05 Brodie Dunn's new podcast, Voice of the Wild
2:49 Welcome Dr. Andy Davis
3:51 The Thoughtful Monarch Facebook page
6:17 Andy's background
8:15 Will we see fewer monarchs this summer in the US and Canada because of the low overwintering counts in Mexico?
16:00 What about the possibility of monarch butterflies being listed as an endangered species?
19:36 The problem with rearing monarchs.
31:08 www.monarchscience.org
32:15 The gap between science and the public.
33:54 What about rearing monarchs in schools to teach kids about insects?
38:57 What are some of the issues with growing tropical milkweed?
46:20 What can people do if they stop rearing monarchs and planting tropical milkweed? How can they redirect their energy into something that may benefit monarch butterflies?
48:18 Some interesting behavior of the non-native Joro spider and monarch butterflies.
52:42 Once Joro spiders get to Illinois will they cause ecological havoc?
Contact us!
Chris Enroth: [e-mail]
Ken Johnson: [e-mail]
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[@CarolEPMc]

TY Dr Davis! there is so much misinformation especially in Florida, it good to know there are scientists who care and are willing to take the time to keep getting the word out about OE and monarchs , the disadvantages of captive rearing, and keeping like-minded butterfly lovers updated about all of these things. It's shocking how resistant well-meaning folks are to change their way of thinking about what is actually beneficial for the health of monarch populations and what is not. Keep fighting the good fight, there are folks listening.

[@yogiberra808]

How accurate is his data about the number of Monarch's in Illinois? Hard to believe there are as many Monarchs in Illinois now as compared to 30 years ago. I'm finding that hard to believe.

[@nancydegnan9073]

TY! I have milkweed in my yard and get 3-4 monarch’s every summer. I live in Illinois near Chicago. I see monarchs all over Illinois and the Midwest when I travel. I wondered about the reports. I also wondered about the home raising since that didn’t seem natural. I’ve seen caterpillars for monarchs and for black swallowtails cause I also grow golden Alexander’s. I am happy to know the monarchs are doing well overall.

[@tonim91]

Great discussion, very informative!!

[@IllinoisExtensionHorticulture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrChristopherharmon]

So recently, I took a strip of my lawn and replaced the grass with native plants. If I were to take another strip and densely plant milkweed, so my kids could observe more caterpillars, could there be any negative repercussions from an artificial dense plot of milkweed?

[@yogiberra808]

I believe more milkweed means more Monarchs, less milkweed means less Monarchs