![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BCN-20211213-MONARCH-03-1024x683.jpg\")
A Monarch butterfly near the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farmers Market in Washington, D.C., on August 6, 2018. (Lance Cheung\/USDA via Bay City News)<\/p>\nSAN FRANCISCO, CA., 9\/6\/2026 \u2014 As western monarch butterflies prepare to retreat to groves along the California coast for the winter, conservationists are asking the public to report sightings ahead of the annual count.<\/p>\n
The California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for preserving the state\u2019s biodiversity, said that the data from these observations will help scientists understand where these butterflies are at different times of the year. The effort is part of California Biodiversity Day, which is celebrated across nine days from Sept. 5-13 and aims to promote activities that protect the state\u2019s natural ecosystems.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe invite Californians to help support monarch butterfly conservation by taking a few easy steps to report sightings,\u201d said the foundation\u2019s director of programs, Randy Widera, in a statement.<\/p>\n
Sightings can be submitted through the free iNaturalist mobile app. Members of the public can take a photo of a western monarch butterfly or caterpillar and upload it to the app.<\/p>\n
On California\u2019s Central Coast, western monarch hotspots are found in many state parks, including Natural Bridges State Beach, Lighthouse Field State Beach, New Brighton State Beach, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and Andrew Molera State Park.<\/p>\n
Many western monarchs flock to groves in these parks as part of overwintering, the phase where these butterflies get rest and conserve energy ahead of the mating season and northward migration in the spring. These groves provide specific microclimates needed for western monarchs to survive, such as sunlight that is filtered through tree foliage, protection from wind and cold, and ample nectar sources, according to the foundation.<\/p>\n
Data submitted from the public through iNaturalist will help inform scientists before the upcoming 30th annual Western Monarch Count, which involves surveys at overwintering sites throughout the fall and winter seasons.<\/p>\n
A Monarch butterfly near the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farmers Market in Washington, D.C., on August 6, 2018. (Lance Cheung\/USDA via Bay City News)<\/p>\n
These counts have tracked a trend of western monarch populations that have \u201cplummeted\u201d in recent decades due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, pesticides and disease, the foundation said. Millions of western monarchs used to come to the California coast for winter, but last year\u2019s Western Monarch Count tracked just 12,260 butterflies across hundreds of sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe western monarch butterfly is among the most beloved species in our state,\u201d Widera said. \u201cCalifornians can play a critical role in preserving our western monarch butterfly population by advocating for the protection of butterfly habitats and helping scientists track butterfly locations.\u201d<\/p>\n