Monarch Conservation
Monarch tagging at Ellwood Mesa
Watch this 4 min video to learn how YOU can participate in monarch conservation at Ellwood Mesa.
Name of app: Project Monarch
This project is made possible through a partnership with the City of Goleta, a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and support from Ellwood Friends.
Name Your Own Monarch Butterfly!
For a $1,000 donation, you can name one of the tagged monarchs and support groundbreaking research in the conservation of the species.
Makes a great gift for the nature lover in your life!
Join Ellwood Friends in Supporting Cutting-Edge Monarch Butterfly Research on the Central Coast!
Thanks to a partnership with Althouse & Meade monarch scientists, for the second year in a row we have the chance to support the deployment of ultra-light tracking tags on monarch butterflies, offering scientists a trailblazing window into their movement and migration.
For a contribution of $1,000 or more, you can name one of the monarch butterflies selected for this pioneering study. This opportunity is limited to the first 5 donors for the 2026 season, but donations of ANY amount support this critical monarch conservation research.
These remarkable tags (weighing about the same as a grain of rice) transmit over bluetooth via the Project Monarch app and the Motus network. This means tagged butterflies can be detected by people’s phones as they move through the landscape.
Tracking “your” monarch
When the monarchs are tagged and active, you can track them on the Project Monarch app by Cape May Point Science Center and Cellular Tracking Technologies.
Learning about the technology
You can learn more about the science and technology of radio tagging monarch butterflies in these resources:
The Science of Radio Tagging Monarchs, Monarch Joint Venture (1hr webinar)
New York Times article from last season
Why this matters
Ellwood Mesa has long been a vital overwintering site for monarchs. With fewer butterflies arriving this season, scientists are hoping to repeat the same methods as last year to ensure we gather meaningful data about overwintering monarch movement and spring dispersal that can shape conservation efforts for years to come. This is permitted, science-based work designed specifically to support monarch recovery. The data will help scientists map key stopover sites, understand migration patterns more clearly, and guide long-term habitat conservation.
A few important notes:
We want to be transparent about what to expect so your gift comes with full understanding.
These tags will be used throughout this winter season, and activation will occur sometime over the next four months.
Monarch butterflies have variable survival rates during the overwintering season—this is natural. Some will not survive the season.
Your support helps ensure we learn as much as possible from every individual tagged, contributing to larger efforts to protect this species for future generations.
How your contribution helps
Your gift directly supports the purchase of tracking tags, community engagement, and on-the-ground research taking place at Ellwood and neighboring overwintering sites. You submit the name for your monarch with your donation and you’ll receive the tag ID with “your” monarch as soon as it is tagged and active.
This is a rare and inspiring moment for conservation science and we would be honored to have you be part of it.
Ready to name a monarch and support this work? Click below to donate today.
Thank you for everything you do to care for Ellwood, our pollinators, and the landscapes that make the Central Coast so special.
To pay by check, ACH payment, or through a Donor Advised Fund,
email: hello@ellwoodfriends.org
with the name of the butterfly and we will assist you.
Small actions make a big difference.
Join us in writing the next chapter of Ellwood Mesa’s story. Become a docent, volunteer at service day or let us know how you’d like to get involved. Your support today will shape Ellwood’s future.