Children, Families Congregate in Urban Plains Park to Help with Butterfly Tagging

Local scientists get valuable data, and the catchers get to personally release the butterflies back in the wild to make their migratory journey.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Kids and families interested in science got the opportunity to help local researchers track butterflies all the way across the southern border.

Fargo Park District helped host the second annual Monarch Butterfly Tagging event at Urban Plains Park.

Audubon Great Plains, NDSU, and United Prairie Foundation co-sponsored the event.

Participants were given nets, taught how to catch the butterflies safely, and then brought them to staff who would apply the tag and then help the catcher release it back into the wild.

Event organizers say this helps them track migratory patterns.

“We can research how many monarchs are here and how many we’re collecting. Then hopefully they get re-caught in Mexico at a similar event down there,” explained Amanda Booher, Communications Manager for Audubon Great Plains.

“They have teams down in Mexico re-catching monarchs as well.”

The tagging event also featured face painting, an art gallery, and free hot dogs.