Museum Research Apprentice Program: A Continuing Project Investigating the Behavior and Ecology of the Monarch Butterfly at a Southern California Wintering Colony

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This project will train twenty (20) high school students, per year during the academic years of 1989/90 and 1990/91 in ecologicalresearch methods, data analysis and writing scientific papers. The students will conduct investigations in the biology and ecology of the migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) at a wintering colony in southern California. The thermoregulatory behavior, population dynamics, sex ratios,female reproductive status, body size, and physical condition will be measured. The species of plants present, as well as the height and diameter (dbh) of the trees at the colony will be mapped. The wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and cloud cover will be recorded during each visit and weekly summaries for the site will be obtained from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The data will be compared with the information gathered during studies conducted in 1987/88 by students from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This program will expose high school students to the duties of professional ecologists, wildlife managers, and park rangers; increase the students's knowledge about the educational requirements for a career in the sciences; and provide a solid background in the fundamentals of ecology and conservation that will enable them to make informed decisions about solutions to environmental problems.