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Join Idaho Fish and Game and SVS!
Milkweed-Monarch Monitoring Partnership Program
Salmon Valley Stewardship and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are partnering again this summer to continue momentum towards a regular, repeated effort to document milkweed patches, survey for monarch adults and larvae as well as collect data on the “health” of milkweed patches in Lemhi County - and in 2025, these efforts are going statewide! With over 140+ different sites to monitor, we are working together with IDFG staff, SVS staff and community volunteers to assess the habitat and population of both milkweed and monarchs throughout our valley.
Volunteer Registration - Now Open!
New in 2025, the milkweed and monarch monitoring program is going statewide.
Please see the Fish and Game Sign-up Sheet and Resources here:
Volunteer Training
Tentatively Friday June 13, 2025 from 1-3 pm
All local volunteers are required to participate in our Milkweed and Monarch Monitoring Training. During the training, volunteers learn how to use the Survey123 app, follow monitoring protocols, sign up for milkweed sites, and participate in a brief hands-on field trip. While many of our volunteers are adults, we also are excited to engage younger citizen scientists who are eager to participate! This program is a great way for kids to learn about place-based ecology, habitat conservation and basic monitoring skills!
All volunteer training takes place in the beginning of June, although we try and accommodate when schedules overlap. New in 2025 - volunteers will have a virtual training option created by the IDFG state project leads which you can watch if you are unable to come to the in-person training. The training webinar will be held on May 28th, 2025 from 6:00-8:00PM (Pacific) / 7:00-9:00PM (Mountain). A recording of the webinar will be available for viewing after. To register for the online webinar click here.
Volunteers must be able to access their sites independently and have access to a smart phone or tablet to download and use the monitoring program app called Survey123.
Volunteer Commitment
Each milkweed site must be monitored 3 times throughout the season. The date ranges to complete your site visit include the following:
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First site visit: July 1- July 15
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Second site visit: July 16-July 31
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Third site visit: August 1- August 15
As you can see, your volunteer commitment can be as minimal or as extensive as you like, depending on the number of sites you sign up for! At the minimum, you will be asked to monitor one site, three times throughout the season. If you sign up for more sites, then you may just find yourself as busy as a bee!
Volunteer Resources
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ID Guide for Milkweed and Monarch Surveys
SVS also has many resources for our citizen science volunteers! We have clipboards, measuring sticks, portable ID guides, hand lens, and more. We want to help make this year's Monitoring Program as fun and successful as possible.