The Missouri Conservation Corps will hold a series of butterfly tagging sessions in September, coinciding with the annual monarch migration to Mexico.
The sessions will be held Sept. 19, 21 and 28 at Bonnie View Nature Center in Columbia and Sept. 26 at the Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge in Boonville.
The conservation corps has also scheduled a free Monarch Migration Family Day at the Katy Depot in Boonville to celebrate the butterflies during their peak.
Monarchs are distinguished by their relatively large size, rusty wings, black veins and black bodies. Broods are typically produced in Missouri in the summer, and adults migrate to Mexico in the fall. The heaviest migration is in mid-to-late September (sightings usually peak Sept. 27).
The tagging events are intended to educate people about monarch migration in Missouri and demonstrate how accessible conservation can be for all ages.
Monarch conservation groups often rely on community efforts because professionals are not as widely available to perform butterfly tagging. Involving the public is also a hands-on way to raise awareness about the declining population of monarch butterflies.
Tagging is a process where butterflies are captured, information is recorded about the insect and a small, uniquely coded tag is placed on the hind wing in an area that minimizes impact.
The pollinator is then released so that if recaptured, the location can be reported. Researchers will connect the two locations and collect data about the migration, said Tamra Reall, a field specialist in horticulture at the University of Missouri.
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The city has had pollinator conservation programs for nearly a decade and continues to reevaluate and improve its efforts.
“The monarch can be seen as a symbol of the importance of making space for the pollinators that we rely on for our food,” said Eric Hempel, Columbia’s sustainability manager.
Due to their annual migration through Missouri, monarchs remain important in Columbia year-round. The butterflies have inspired city conservation programs like the Roadside Pollinator Program and the CoMo Wild Yards program, which foster monarch-friendly environments all around the city.
Additionally, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe proclaimed the month of May 2026 to be Monarch Butterfly Month.
Columbia also holds community education events and collaborates with the Missouri Conservation Corps on its volunteer efforts.
The September tagging events will feature hiking and a migration game for families, in addition to butterfly catching. No registration is needed, and participants can stay for as long as they choose.
Laura Semken, Missouri Conservation Corps naturalist, can be reached at laurasemken@gmail.com for further questions regarding these events.