Monarch Recovery Report
2019-2022
About RCRCD
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD) is a local agency in western Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, CA that is enabled by Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code to conserve natural resources, including soil, water, air, native plants and animals. The District works with private land users, organizations, and public agencies to sustain natural resources within its boundaries. RCRCD conducts a variety of educational programs for different audiences and engages volunteers with on-the-land conservation projects, including habitat restoration, community science monitoring, and tree plantings.
In 2019, representatives of the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD) and Riverside Neighborhood Partnership (RNP) met with then mayor Rusty Bailey and requested that WKH&LW\RI5LYHUVLGHKHOSLQVDYLQJWKH:HVWHUQ0RQDUFKEXWWHUȵ\VSHFLHV0D\RU%DLOH\MRLQHG with us and became a member of National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Challenge, which designates 25 actions in three categories:
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A Pollinator Festival
supported by community
partners with a Native
Plant Sale by the California
Native Plant Society
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Mayor Lock Dawson
committed to the Mayor’s
Monarch Pledge and
developed a pollinator
garden at City Hall
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RCRCD conducted
a second milkweed
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The online Power of
Pollinators program
was created for
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RCRCD partnered the
Riverside Food Systems
Alliance to provide
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100 volunteers
planted 2-acres of
habitat at RCRCD’s
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Volunteers weeded and
monitored for Monarch
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Monarch signs were
installed at City Hall,
Bonaminio Park and the
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RCRCD sponsored
a Milkweed Sale,
Monarch Day of
Action, and SoCal
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The California Association
of Public Information
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with an EPIC Award for the
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RCRCD’s nursery began
propagation of 2,000
native milkweeds, and a
Pollinator Demonstration
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The Public Relation Society
of America - Inland Empire
Chapter provided a Polaris
Award for the Pollinator
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The Wildlife Conservation
Board provided RCRCD
a $60,000 grant for
habitat creation, milkweed
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drastically declined during 2020, reaching the
lowest level ever recorded: less than 1% of
historic populations.
Monarch Habitat was
planted at:
• Bonaminio Park
• LandUse Learning Center
• Sycamore Creek
Interpretive Center
The Xerces Society provided
1,600 native pollinator
plants.
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RIVERSIDE MONARCH MILESTONES
Pollinator Festival
The hugely successful and free Riverside Pollinator
Festival was the result of extensive community
planning and engagement with in-kind support
from partnering groups, agencies and volunteers.
About 30 volunteers assisted with 19 informative
stations along a trail that included pollinator-themed
demonstrations, games, crafts, and community
science activities.
Thank you
Monarch Challenge Sponsors
Festival Partners
Planting Partners
Also many thanks to
Mayor Rusty Bailey & staff
Our speakers: Christine Lampe, Amanda Plunkett, and Elijah Hall Our wonderful community volunteers,
and Stan Fry and Dave Struthers for their nature photography.
Welcome to the fun!
Speaker Schedule
PoLLInaToR FESTIVaL
amphitheater
noon Mayor’s Monarch Pledge with Mayor Rusty Bailey
12:20 pm Speak-off Winner Presentation
Presentations in Bldg. F
11 am Gardening for Butterflies
Christine Lampe, Master Gardeners & CA Rare Fruit Growers 12:30 pm n ative Bees
Amanda Plunkett, Bee Rooted Honeybees & Botanicals
1:30 pm u rban Plant-Pollinator Interactions
Elijah Hall, Phd Student, University of California, Riverside Featuring:
• Butterflies
• Bees
• Beetles
• Bats
• Birds
• Moths, and some speakers too.
Learn ways that you can help:
1. Grow “host’ plants for eggs and caterpillars
(native milkweed for Monarchs).
2. Grow a variety of plants that provide nectar year-round.
3. Eliminate pesticides: Use the least-toxic alternative.
Thank you
Monarch Challenge Sponsors
Festival Partners
Planting Partners
Also many thanks to
Mayor Rusty Bailey & staff
Our speakers: Christine Lampe, Amanda Plunkett, and Elijah Hall Our wonderful community volunteers,
and Stan Fry and Dave Struthers for their nature photography.
Welcome to the fun!
Speaker Schedule
PoLLInaToR FESTIVaL
amphitheater
noon Mayor’s Monarch Pledge with Mayor Rusty Bailey
12:20 pm Speak-off Winner Presentation
Presentations in Bldg. F
11 am Gardening for Butterflies
Christine Lampe, Master Gardeners & CA Rare Fruit Growers 12:30 pm n ative Bees
Amanda Plunkett, Bee Rooted Honeybees & Botanicals
1:30 pm u rban Plant-Pollinator Interactions
Elijah Hall, Phd Student, University of California, Riverside Featuring:
• Butterflies
• Bees
• Beetles
• Bats
• Birds
• Moths, and some speakers too.
Learn ways that you can help:
1. Grow “host’ plants for eggs and caterpillars
(native milkweed for Monarchs).
2. Grow a variety of plants that provide nectar year-round.
3. Eliminate pesticides: Use the least-toxic alternative.
The front cover of the program included key messages and the speaker schedule.
The back cover of the program thanked our partners and
speakers.
Christine and Michael Lampe of the California Rare Fruit Growers conducted an interactive presentation about the plight of Monarchs.
1 SUMMARY 2019
Map and stations on the center pages of program.
2019
2 UC Riverside Entomologist PhD candidate Elijah Hall presented slides about pollinator-plant interactions.
The local chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) conducted a native plant sale that drew an additional 150 people. Combined, over 400 people attended and cross-pollinated (pun intended) the adjoining events.
During the Festival, a city-wide Monarch Conservation Challenge was kicked-off by Mayor Rusty Bailey.
Following the Mayor, Morton Gilbert, a high school student “Speak-Off” winner presented a 4-minute, award-winning speech about the plight and conservation of the Monarch. Three speakers presented power point programs indoors, adjacent to the California Native Plant Society’s plant sale. (Please see the event map and program on preceeding pages.)
In total, 18 organizations partnered, and 63 people volunteered between the Pollinator Festival and habitat planting the following Saturday.
Tom Donahue, chair of the Riverside Neighborhood Partnership, patronized the native plant sale which sold out of the Monarch’s host plant and other nectar-source plants.
Mayor Bailey delivered his Monarch Conservation Challenge to a crowd of about 100 in spite of the unseasonably high heat.
The Inland Urban Forest Council taught about the value of trees to pollinators.
3 2019
Each stop along the trail provided topic-related publications to take home and reinforce learning. Find the 4 page publication at: https://www.rcrcd.org/files/0e8334199/Monarch_Milkweed_ for_SoCal.pdf .
Monarch Conservation Challenge! Join the Monarch Conservation Challenge! Learn more: https://www.rcrcd.org/handouts-and-brochures Thank you for your help,
The Monarch Butterfly and
Western Monarch populations are in drastic decline due to:
• loss of habitat
• use of pesticides & herbicides
• a microscopic parasite that causes butterfly deformity.
How can you help?
1. If you live in inland SoCal valleys, plant native
Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. Please don’t remove it when it goes dormant in winter.
2. Plant native nectar-producing plants close to milkweed to provide food for butterflies.
3. Do not use herbicides or insecticides. Practice non-toxic pest control, such as bursts of water to spray off pests. That way, you are supporting the beneficial insects that control pests.
If you grow non-native milkweed, please keep it cut back from November to February to mimic the dormancy of native milkweed.
One of a series of posters used along the trail to educate about pollinators.
Professional photographers Stan Fry, David Struthers,
Michael J Elderman, and Jennifer Iyer donated the
use of their photos for publications, videos and t-shirt designs. This postcard includes a QR code to a monarch butterfly publication (in the photo below) distributed by RCRCD and partners.
Publications, T-shirts, postcards, and posters were developed to help reinforce learning and empower home and business owners with tools to foster pollinators. 4 2019
The four photo “booths” were a highlight of the event.
A giant Instagram photo-frame was created
with relevant hash tags. Visitors could include
those hashtags when posting their pictures to
Instagram.
Bee and butterfly wings were popular at the
costume photo booth.
Monarch wings were enlarged for a 10 by 6 foot banner.
Professional photographers donated the use of their large format pictures to create a collage with face cut-outs, for a 10 by 6 foot banner. Visitors had fun becoming moths, hummingbirds, butterflies, or bees. 5 2019
One of many Pollinator Festival
ads. This caption promotes t-shirt
painting that was brought to the
event by UC Riverside’s Botanic
Garden volunteers (above).
Promo for the California Native
Plant Society’s Plant Sale (left).
Habitat planting
promo (right).
6 2019
Promotion
Social Media promos were posted/shared throughout the year; heavily during Pollinator Week; and to promote the Pollinator Festival and volunteer opportunities. Shared social media promos were effective at drawing visitors and volunteers, as we had no funding for advertisement.
During 2019, overall pollinator post-reach exceeded 25,000. Each promo designated relevant partners, so they could be shared to the partners’ social media sites.
Flyers were posted at public
locations, such as libraries.
Electronic versions were provided to
schools via Peachjar.
With no funding for advertising, promos were posted daily (leading up to the events) and were dispersed through partner networks. Each of these ads highlighted a festival activity or speaker, and were created and provided as an in-kind donation from the Riverside Garden Council.
7 2019
Planting Events
RCRCD promoted the habitat plantings and sought volunteers during the Festival. For the park planting, the Rivers and Lands Conservancy helped coordinate the 33 volunteers who planted 1,240 plants that had been donated by the Xerces Society. The site required extensive grading and preparation by the City’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.
Girl Scouts planted at the Sycamore Creek Interpretive Center, and Boy Scouts planted at the LandUse Learning Center.
Over 30 volunteers helped install pollinator plants at
Ryan Bonaminio Park.
Each volunteer was given a milkweed to take home with the publication: Steps for Success with Milkweed and Monarchs for the Inland Southern California Valleys.
Then Ward 2 councilmember Andy Melendrez (on right) pitched in to help.
Volunteers worked in teams to dig and plant.
8 2019
2019
Budget
Although we gained minimal funding, we ended up with maximum community engagement. A $1,000 grant was provided from a City Sponsorship grant to the Southwest Resource Management Association, a project partner. RCRCD absorbed the remaining expenses. The total RCRCD and community in-kind estimated contribution was $28,000.
Awards
This event went on to be recognized by the Public Relation Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter with a Polaris Award.
The Pollinator Festival was also awarded an EPIC award (Excellence in Public Information and Communication) for “Special Event” by CAPIO, the California Association of Public Information Officers. 9 During 2019, RCRCD was able to thank the Riverside
City Council and present a summary slideshow. RCRCD
accepted a “Monarch City” proclamation.
UCR Entomology Museum staff provided exciting outreach at their station.
In early 2020, RCRCD received a supplemental $60,000 grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board that was coordinated by the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. That grant provided funding into 2022 for:
• the propagation and planting of an additional 2,000 native milkweeds, plus 1,600 nectar plants • the planting and hand-weeding of 2-acres of Monarch habitat at RCRCD’s Ag Greenbelt facility • farmer training programs about farming practices that support pollinators and outreach to neighboring farms
• the fabrication of a set of two Monarch interpretive signs for each demonstration planting. Four sets of the 36” X 24” signs were fabricated for the $7,200 budget.
RCRCD is planning to develop pollinator gardens and place the same set of interpretive signs at other cities.
Please see a 2020 summary on pages 2 and 3 of the RCRCD newsletter: https://www.rcrcd.org/ files/40d61ab84/rcrcd+summer+2020+final+web.pdf .
SUMMARY 2020
Monarch interpretive signs were installed at Ryan Bonaminio Park.Ernesto Alvardo set out the young plants he propagated for volunteers to plant at the RCRCD Greenbelt facility.
Seed increase plot for Narrow-leaf Milkweed with seed collection bags. 10 2020
11 2020
12 A $2,000 mini-grant from the Environmental
Education Collaborative helped fund the
production of a Monarch education video
and a virtual training program. The Power
of Pollinators program was presented
to gardening groups and is available to
educators. Promo: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=OI4OKwlMOiw&t=81s .
RCRCD’s nursery manager completed another seed increase by growing milkweed and collecting, then cleaning the seeds.
This video shows his process: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=hcld6mL-vUw&t=8s .
Over a hundred volunteers helped plant and weed at the Greenbelt facility during 2021. Graduates of the UC California Naturalist and Climate Stewards programs provide ongoing volunteer support.
Please share our monarch volunteer opportunity. Prospective volunteers can sign up here:
https://www.rcrcd.org/volunteer-opportunities#body_file-e56cb128-4e72-4780-8b3c-8988802a2357 .
Summary 2021
RCRCD would like to thank our volunteer planters at the Greenbelt facility.
Resource Educator, Erin Snyder (on left), helped create the Power of Pollinators online education program.
RCRCD staff and volunteers weeded the new plantings at the Greenbelt. 13 RCRCD promotes conservation practices like hedgerows along field borders that provide habitat for beneficial insects. 2021
An informational letter about supporting
monarch populations was sent to all
landowners within a 1 mile radius of the
Greenbelt facility.
Farmer training was conducted online
in coordination with the Riverside Food
Systems Alliance (RFSA).
A 2021 Monarch summary can be found
on pages 4 and 5 of the 2021 RCRCD
newsletter:
https://www.rcrcd.org/files/6580e51d8/
rcrcd+spring2021+web.pdf .
Front: Tom Donahue (Riverside Neighborship Partership) and Diana Ruiz (RCRCD) accepted the Monarch Challenge proclamation from Mayor Lock Dawson (on right). Back: Councilmembers Gaby Plascentia (left) and Chuck Conder (right).
In 2021, Riverside’s current mayor, Patricia Lock Dawson, chose to continue with the Monarch Challenge and provided a Proclamation during city council meeting June 1, 2021. She stepped up the City’s commitment by installing a new pollinator garden at City Hall adjacent to Mariposa Alley where gigantic butterflies have been fabricated from recycled cans. RCRCD provided a set of the Monarch signs for the downtown landscaping demonstration.14
Planting a Hedgerow for the SoCal Inland Region
was developed for local farmers:
https://www.rcrcd.org/files/4bab03892/Hedgerow.pdf .
RCRCD helped sponsor a SoCal Monarch Conference. An extension of the conference was a Monarch Day of Action. RCRCD hosted a day of planting, where volunteers planted next-year’s seed increase and additional milkweed at the LandUse Learning Center.
During Earth Week, about 200 people attended a small successful milkweed plant sale and event with crafts and photo booths at the LandUse Learning Center’s Pollinator Garden. The milkweed sold out.
Volunteers have been helping to weed and monitor at the Greenbelt 2-acre planting for Monarch eggs and caterpillars using the app: https://www.monarchmilkweedmapper.org/ .
Staff collaborated with the Mayor’s office to find a high profile, downtown location to plant a pollinator garden. City staff was in the process of redeveloping the landscaping at the City Hall Veterans’ Wall.
RCRCD was able to partner on the project to include a pollinator garden. The planting and interpretive signs are appropriately placed adjacent to Mariposa Alley, a well-lit alley with recycled art by a locally known artist.
Take a look at some of the progress we’ve made educating and turning Riverside into a Monarch haven in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCVfq81W7q0 .
Summary 2022
BEFORE: Volunteers helped plant the Pollinator Garden at the LandUse Learning Center. Nursery manager, Ernesto Alvarado (on left) coordinated the planting, as well as the propagation and milkweed seed increases.
AFTER: Monarch interpretive signs installed at the Pollinator Garden.
RCRCD developed a pollinator garden guide:
Plan Your Pollinator Paradise at
https://www.rcrcd.org/files/0415dff40/
Pollinator+Garden+Handout+web.pdf .
15 Naturalist Michelle Felix-Debarmdiker (on right) coordinated the 2022 Milkweed Sale and habitat planting.
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson provided support for the Monarch social media campaign.
BEFORE: Philip Falcone, assistant to the mayor,
helped plan the landscape conversion of the
pollinator garden at city hall.
AFTER: The new planting with interpretive signs is adjacent to Mariposa Alley. 16 2022
RCRCD provides resource management assistance to private and public landusers and conducts land treatment, education, and volunteer programs to steward natural resources. The District promotes the sustainable use of natural resources for each landuse, including native habitats, urban/ suburban areas, and agriculture. RCRCD works to foster community conservation efforts and empower southern Californians to practice natural resource stewardship at home, at work, and in the community.
All RCRCD programs and services are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, gender, or orientation.
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