It’s Almost Time to Release Your Adopted Monarch!
First emailed 8/28/2026
Greetings all Monarch Adopters! Thank you for your support of the Adopt A Monarch Program! It’s time to get you all up to speed on our plans for releasing your Adopted Monarchs!
Things have been moving quickly to this point, and we’re aware many of you are excited to learn more details about the various releases in Idaho and Oregon. You will be receiving periodic email updates as monarch migration data is received. The AdoptAMonarch.org website will also be a helpful resource for further updates.
As this adventure begins, the two hundred monarchs radio tagged through AdoptAMonarch.org are set to be released now through September 2026. One hundred monarchs each are scheduled for release in Idaho and Oregon. We will do our best to notify you prior to your monarch’s release. However, because departure dates depend upon when the monarchs eclose (emerge) and are ready to fly, an exact date cannot be provided at this time. Release locations for all monarchs have been determined and will be given to you in the next email coming soon! Every monarch release location has been meticulously chosen for a purpose related to the overall scientific value of the location.
In addition, while we will do our best to match your chosen sex of the monarch along with the adopted name, this cannot be guaranteed. Monarchs do not emerge from the chrysalis at a 50-50% equal ratio. Nature’s sex determination is biased more toward males rather than females. Contrast that to our adopted monarchs which have been adopted evenly. Please understand your monarch may or may not be your desired sex.
As a final point, Adopt A Monarch encourages you to follow every monarch being released and not just your own adopted monarch. This will give you a bigger picture of what is being learned on the monarch’s amazing migratory journey! Dr. David James is the entomologist at Washington State University overseeing this project in both Idaho and Oregon. To add some fun to this exciting inaugural project in the Pacific Northwest, he encourages us to ask questions as we go along and email them to him at tagging@adoptamonarch.org. He has graciously offered to answer any questions you may have as we go through this project together.
Specific WingsRising butterfly migration information and the Adopt A Monarch App Tutorial will be shared with all our adopters in our next email in early September. Stay tuned…
WINGS UP!
Your Monarch Release Team at WingsRising!
