Overview

• Residents, especially state park visitors, are asked to photograph monarchs or caterpillars and upload sightings through the free iNaturalist app.
• Submitted observations will help map current distributions and migration patterns to support monitoring and conservation planning.
• The Xerces Society reported a peak overwintering population of 9,119 monarchs last season, the second-lowest count since tracking began in 1997.
• Scientists attribute decades-long declines from historic millions to climate change, habitat loss, pesticides and disease, with a federal assessment projecting over a 95% extinction risk by 2080.
• California’s coastal groves in state parks serve as critical refuges, with sites such as Lighthouse Field, Natural Bridges and Pismo among key overwintering locations.