When Kathy Polkinghorn joined the UC Master Gardener program in 2015, she did not anticipate that her involvement would lead to a deep interest in monarch butterflies. Her first encounter with the subject occurred in 2022 during a continuing education event on weed identification, where she learned that milkweed—an uninvited plant growing in her garden—was the essential host for monarchs.
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is widely recognized across the United States, with seven states naming it their state insect. The species has drawn public attention through documentaries, news segments such as Anderson Cooper’s “60 Minutes,” and reports by major outlets like The New York Times. Monarchs migrate vast distances each year: eastern populations travel from Ontario to Central Mexico, while western groups journey from the northwestern Rockies and Washington state to coastal California.
Much of what is known about monarch migration comes from citizen science efforts led by Dr. Orley “Chip” Taylor of the University of Kansas. In 1992, he founded Monarch Watch, which mobilized volunteers to tag butterflies and study their routes. More recently, technological advances have enabled scientists to track individual butterflies using lightweight devices developed by Michael Lanzone of Cellular Tracking Technologies. These trackers allowed researchers and volunteers to follow specific butterflies’ migrations via a mobile app called Project Monarch Science.
According to Polkinghorn’s article, “For the first time, they were able to follow the detailed migration of individual butterflies. It worked so well that they established an informal betting pool via group chat to see which monarch would arrive at their home colony first.” She referenced Dan Fagin’s November 2025 New York Times article describing this effort as “a half raisin carrying three uncooked grains of rice.”
The population decline of monarchs has been dramatic since 1990. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that one billion individuals had been lost since then; eighty-five percent of eastern populations disappeared while western numbers dropped by ninety-five percent.
This crisis has led scientists, government agencies, conservationists, and community members to create waystations—gardens planted with milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants—to support migrating monarchs along their routes.
Polkinghorn noted local efforts: “If you would like to answer the call for public support in Yolo County by hosting a monarch waystation in your yard or on your property, a local resident of Davis, Rich Marovich, has made it his mission to plant 150 of these waystations in the next two years.” Marovich was inspired by results at Fishing Access #1 on Putah Creek where planting Woollypod Milkweed seedlings resulted in hundreds of caterpillars.
Marovich’s project is supported by Rotary District 5160 and local clubs including Rotary Club of Winters and Davis Sunrise Rotary. He requires at least one hundred square feet in full sun for each waystation site.
Polkinghorn described her own experience: “Last week, Rich and a helper named Ian arrived at our house in Winters, and together they planted a garden for us with pesticide-free native pollinator and milkweed plants Rich had propagated himself.”
Monarch decline is attributed to factors such as habitat loss due to tree disease or development; pesticide use; fires; logging; and climate change impacts affecting ecosystems nationwide.
In Yolo County specifically, native flowering plants provide nectar while several types of milkweed serve as egg-laying sites for monarchs each spring and summer. Caterpillars feed on these leaves—and absorb toxins that help protect them from predators throughout their short lives.
Community members interested in supporting these efforts can contact Rich Marovich directly for more information about establishing butterfly habitats locally.
