APALACHIOLA, Fl. (WTXL) -- The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve finished its 14th year of tagging the Monarch butterflies that migrate from the during the Winter months.
Over 1,200 were tagged this year by local volunteers and staff. "This tagging project helps researchers determine the pathways taken during the butterflies' long migration from the U.S. to Mexico, which can be up to 3,000 miles long," said Jennifer Harper, manager of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.
The information gathered by tagging these butterflies is beneficial because it helps scientists learn how weather is affecting the migration and how well the butterflies are faring.
Not only did the Reserve tag Monarch's but they also held tagging demonstrations for over 100 Franklin county students from grades pre-kindergarten to 7th Grade and helped spread knowledge of life cycles of the butterfly.
