Working to Save the Monarch Butterfly
We All Can Play a Role. Let’s Get This Show On the Road!
We’ve had our eye on Dr. Karen Oberhauser for a long time, and we are delighted to finally bring her story and vast knowledge about the monarch into the SPI Learning Lab. Dr. Oberhauser is considered to be one of the foremost Conservation Biologists - in the world - focusing on the study of monarchs. She has spent the past 35+ years studying the now-endangered butterfly.
Dr. Oberhauser’s research addresses many key aspects of monarch butterfly ecology, including habitat management and availability and the risks posed by global climate change and pest control practices, which are huge.
In her SPI talk, Dr. O tells us what things we can do to be part of the solution, and it’s not hard. Did you know that a monarch on a leisurely fly-by can spot ONE milkweed plant growing in the crack of a sidewalk - and will use it to lay eggs? Imagine if you planted it - or safeguarded it - in a field or in a garden?
There are lots of local and national organizations that will walk you through the paces of what you can do and when. Can’t find them? Contact us.
Karen has a strong interest in engaging K -12 students and teachers in inquiry-based science and promoting a citizenry with a high degree of scientific and environmental literacy. She has developed a comprehensive science education program called Monarchs in the Classroom, which involves courses and workshops for teachers, opportunities for young people to engage in research and share their findings with broad audiences, a nationwide Citizen Science project called the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, and curriculum development.
Passionate about the conservation of the world’s biodiversity, Dr. Oberhauser believes that the connections her projects promote between monarchs, humans, and the natural world will help to promote conservation actions. She chairs the Steering Committee of the Monarch Joint Venture, is an officer and founding member of the Monarch Butterfly Fund, and is a member of state and national organizations that are focused on pollinator conservation and citizen science.
Dr. Oberhauser graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Harvard College, a Bachelor of Science degree in natural science education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in ecology and behavioral biology from the University of Minnesota. She is currently the director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. (Source: entomology.wisc.edu)
IT’S ALMOST SPRING. IT’S TIME! So, here’s a direct link to her page on SPI’s website, where you can listen to her talk and take a look at two lesson plans from her Monarchs in the Classroom Project.
An abbreviated list of recordings currently in our Earth and Environment Collection includes stories told by:
Photo courtesy of George Schaller
Wildlife Preservationist George Schaller
National Resources Defense Council Founder Gus Speth
Terrestrial Ecologist Tom Wessels
Ornithologist Don Kroodsma
Naturalist and Writer Sy Montgomery
Conservationist, Naturalist, Artist, Writer David Carroll
About Story Preservation Initiative
Our Mission: Story Preservation Initiative believes in the transformative power of story to connect people around our common humanity and create a better future.
Our Work: We are a leading producer and online distributor of original, content-rich audio-based narratives for K-12 students. SPI stories are the raw materials of history, roadmaps to scientific discovery, and windows to the minds of artists and skilled tradesmen and women. SPI also makes available original projects and educator prompts developed to deepen student engagement and learning.
What We Achieve: SPI brings listeners into personal contact with extraordinary people whose stories engage their hearts and minds, imparting content knowledge and fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking as they open doors to possible career paths in professions associated with the arts, sciences, humanities, and skilled trades.
SPI was founded in 2010. We are fully open-source.
SPI produces original, primary source recordings of extraordinary people who share their knowledge and experience with young people to educate, inspire, and make learning meaningful and real-world relevant.
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