Monarch butterfly conservation presentation set Nov. 20 at Idaho Museum of Natural History

The monarch butterfly is the official state insect of Idaho, and the Gem State is one of 11 western states that contribute to the western monarch population. Western monarchs are in dramatic decline requiring an “all hands on deck” approach to conserve this iconic species. 

Waterbury will provide an overview of monarch butterfly biology, life history, population status and conservation actions needed to avert further declines. Audiences members can learn how, as citizen naturalists, they can be an essential partner in western monarch recovery by helping to collect monarch and milkweed observations, create and protect monarch breeding and migratory habitat, and help answer key research questions about how best to aid the western monarch.

Waterbury has worked as a wildlife biologist for more than 30 years for the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California. She retired from Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Salmon Region in 2018 after leading the Salmon Region’s Wildlife Diversity Program for 16 years. From 2016-2018, she led the first statewide survey for monarch butterflies and their milkweed host plants in Idaho, and worked with The Xerces Society, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to develop the Western Monarch and Milkweed Mapper online database to gather public-sourced observations.

Recently, Waterbury served as editor of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ “Western Monarch Conservation Plan.” Her personal interests include habitat restoration, gardening, glass art and photography. Her passion and camera lens pivot more and more to the many rare, understudied and at-risk species whose stories need telling.

The Idaho Museum of Natural History has been serving Idaho since 1934. To learn more about the museum visit imnh.isu.edu. For more information, call 208-282-3168.