AMC Pollinator Garden Field Trip

Join us on a field trip to Page Springs & Bubbling Ponds Fish Hatcheries where we will meet with the manager to learn about pollinator related work at the hatchery as well as tour their monarch waystation garden. We will also have time to explore grounds of the hatcheries on the banks of Oak Creek. Both hatcheries are listed as Important Bird Areas with riparian habitat that hosts a diversity of local wildlife species.

Space is limited, advance registration required.

When: Wednesday, June 17th from 9:00am - 11:00am

Where: Bubbling Ponds & Page Springs Fish Hatcheries in Cornville, AZ

How: Pre-registration is required, space is limited - Sign up to attend here!

Pollinator & Insect Conservation News

First tagged Monarch detected by a Motus station in Arizona

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has reported that it detected it's first Motus tagged monarch butterfly back in November of last year. The butterfly was tagged in Scottsdale, AZ by Southwest Monarch Study and was detected at the Empire Ranch Motus station in Sonoita, AZ seven days later - that's a distance of over 220 miles!

Click here to see more about this monarch detection and here to see all monarch detections in North America.

What's Motus tagging? Click here to learn more!

"Conservation Priorities for Western Monarchs in California" Report Released

The California Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative has published a report on the results of a years-long process to identify priority conservation actions and research needs for the western monarch butterfly. The report identifies top-priority actions for the next three years and lays out a roadmap for addressing some of the key challenges for monarchs and other pollinators. The document was developed for use by by agencies, researchers, land managers, and other interested parties as a roadmap for monarch conservation in the state. Click the link below to access the report.

Conservation Priorities for Western Monarchs in California (California DFW)

Events & Training

June 17 - Arizona Monarch Collaborative Pollinator Garden Field Trip

Bubbling Ponds & Page Springs Fish Hatcheries, Cornville, AZ | Register Here (space is limited!)

June 20 - Ask the Experts! How Can You Protect Pollinators From Pesticides?

Online Webinar | Xerces Society | Register Here

June 22-28 - Pollinator Week Bioblitz

Help collect data on the distribution of pollinators across the US, Canada, and Mexico during pollinator week using iNaturalist | More Info Here

A California digger-cuckoo bee (Brachymelecta californica) on Macharanthera sp.

Working Committee Activities

Research & Monitoring

The next meeting for the Research & Monitoring working committee is Thursday, May 28th at 10am. Please email committee chair Kim Pegram if you are in need of the meeting invite details.

Chair: Kim Pegram, kpegram@dbg.org

Management Practices & Outreach

The committee completed the text for a handout educating

homeowners about the

effects of pesticides on insect

pollinators. This handout will

be available in a digital

printable format soon. We are also starting work on a pollinator planting guide for northern Arizona.

Chair: Jessi Miller, jessica_miller@fws.gov

Plant Materials & Restoration

Thanks to all who were able to join our meeting last month! It was great to get caught up with the group and we also discussed updates to our milkweed brochure. Please join us for our next virtual meeting on June 16^th. Reach out to Natalie with questions or to be added to the group.

Chair: Natalie Melkonoff, nmelkonoff@dbg.org

Interested in joining a working committee? Reach out to one of our committee chairs to learn more!

Recent Publications of Interest

A striped sweat bee (Agapostemon) on Ratibida columnifera

A hierarchical approach for finding undiscovered populations of an endangered bumble bee

Otto, C.R.V. et. al. | Scientific Reports | April 2026

The sensory and neuronal mechanisms underlying long-distance migration in insects

el Jundi, B. et. al. | Neurobiology | June 2026

Food plant–associated predation risk and its impact on larval development and adult morphology in a specialist butterfly

Diethelm, A.C. et. al. | Ecological Entomology | April 2026

We'd love to hear from you!

Share your Arizona monarch or pollinator related projects, events, and more to be included in future newsletters.

Email us at: azmonarchs@dbg.org

Join our iNaturalist project to share plant and pollinator interactions in our state. Observations shared to the project may be featured in our newsletter!

Arizona Monarch Collaborative iNat Project