How You Can Track Monarch Butterflies Returning to Missouri

As the weather in Missouri begins to warm up, we're nearing the time when you'll see lots of butterflies begin to make their way back into the Show Me State. There is now a way to track the migration so you know when to expect Monarch butterflies back in your Show Me State neighborhood.

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There are multiple sites that are great go-to places for tracking the Monarch butterfly migration north. Monarch Watch is one, but Journey North is what looks to me to be the best way to get nearly real-time reports of Monarch butterfly sightings. They have a very detailed list of sightings of adult Monarch butterflies. As of this writing, Georgia is the farthest north sighting I can find. That will change soon.

The US Forest Service also shared a helpful map showing where these Monarchs go during the cold weather months and where they're returning from.

You'll normally start to see Monarch butterflies in Missouri as early as May, but more common in June, July and August.

You can actually participate in reporting Monarch butterflies once they make an appearance in your neighborhood and it will be added to the Journey North report page.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation site, Monarch butterflies are nearing the point where they'll receive federal protected status as their numbers have fallen over the years. Would be a shame to see the disappearance of one of Missouri's sure signs that summer is near.