Monarch Tagging Event at Private Planting near Rolla, MO

Join Lilly Germeroth, MPF’s Conservation Program Associate, for a guided monarch tagging event on a prairie planting owned by John and Elaine Edgar south of Rolla on Sunday, September 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In late summer, the monarch butterflies you see in Missouri are headed south to overwinter in Mexico. To study their migration, it has been a decades-long practice in monarch conservation to place a small sticker on their wing, in hopes to find the tagged individual in Mexico. From this, we can learn about their migratory paths and the success of their migration.

Nets, datasheets, and tagging stickers will be provided. Participants should bring their own water, and wear closed toed shoes and long pants. Participants can participate in butterfly netting, or just enjoy some guided time on the prairie. Expect to walk along mowed trails or navigate through hip to chest high plant growth.

To participate, register below by Thursday, September 11, 2025. Information about driving directions and other useful details will be sent to registrants a few days before the event.

Free event; optional donation of any amount to MPF. For those who are part of the Grow Native! Professional Certification Program (GNPCP), this opportunity counts as 3 CEUs.

As MPF’s Conservation Program Associate, Lilly Germeroth administers grant projects, performs site stewardship, and provides assistance with educational and outreach activities. She is a local naturalist, and studied the monarch butterfly and the milkweed insect community while getting a Master’s in Ecology.

Top photo of Monarch on goldenrod by Justin Klingsmith, inset photo of Lilly with a monarch on milkweed.