2022 Project Monarch Health Crowdfunding Challenge

  • $4,127.00

    Funded. Goal: $5,000.00

  • 64

    Backers

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All contributions will be collected automatically until Nov 30, 2022, 11PM EST.

Launched: October 27, 2022
Funding Ends: November 30, 2022

Help UGA’s Monarch Lab raise $5,000 to keep monarch population’s healthy.

Monarch butterflies are famous for their toxicity to predators, their bright coloration, and their amazing migratory journeys. But North American monarchs are in trouble. Their overwintering numbers in California and Mexico dropped by over 80% during the past two decades. At the same time, infections by a debilitating disease are on the rise. Students and researchers at the University of Georgia are working with volunteers across North America to track this parasite and understand why infections are increasing.

What is Project Monarch Health?

Monarch Health is a citizen science project based at the University of Georgia that has mobilized over 1,000 volunteers since 2006 to test more than 84,000 monarchs for infection by a debilitating protozoan parasite (OE). Our team examines how OE infection patterns are changing in response to human activities, and what actions might lower parasite spread.

Protecting monarchs from infection requires outreach and education. Project Monarch Health shares key findings through our website, social media channels, newsletters, scholarly publications, outreach events, and by offering virtual lab tours to classrooms. We aim to educate others to make sure future generations can experience the joy of monarch migration.

It costs $200 per week to continue our scientific, training, and outreach goals:

  • $100 to pay student interns for 8.5 hours of processing and data entry.
  • $50 in material and mailing costs to distribute free sampling kits to volunteers across the country.
  • $30 in bench supplies (exam gloves, sanitation materials, microscope supplies, data books) needed to process samples.
  • $20 for educational materials and travel costs to amplify outreach to classrooms and nature centers.

A donation of any amount can make a difference to support our monitoring and outreach work! Support from donors like you will help us continue sampling, increase the accessibility of our program, and expand outreach.

Crowdfunding support up to the first $5,000 raised will be matched 1:1 with small grant funds and an anonymous donor pledge to ensure that Project Monarch Health continues for another full year. Thank you for helping us continue this project.

  1. Laura Ashley Lester
    $1.00 10/27/22 @ 4:00 pm
  2. Ryan Phillips
    $5.00 10/27/22 @ 4:23 pm
  3. Antony Gelberg
    $1.00 10/27/22 @ 4:24 pm
  4. Samantha Burton
    $50.00 10/27/22 @ 4:25 pm
  5. Sonia Altizer
    $70.00 10/27/22 @ 4:27 pm
  6. Karoun Bagamian
    $100.00 10/27/22 @ 4:28 pm
  7. Laura Gold
    $50.00 10/27/22 @ 4:28 pm
  8. Michele Ondra
    $50.00 10/27/22 @ 4:29 pm
  9. Kade Donaldson
    $20.00 10/27/22 @ 4:29 pm
  10. James Altizer
    $100.00 10/28/22 @ 10:23 am
  11. Susan and Tom Schroeder
    $50.00 10/28/22 @ 2:28 pm
  12. Anonymous
    $10.00 10/29/22 @ 2:27 pm
  13. CAROLE EVANS
    $50.00 10/29/22 @ 5:18 pm
  14. Anonymous
    $20.00 10/29/22 @ 5:25 pm
  15. Hayley Schroeder
    $200.00 10/30/22 @ 1:06 pm
  16. Anne & Patrick Gabriel
    $50.00 10/31/22 @ 4:34 pm
  17. Rosemary Plank
    $100.00 11/01/22 @ 3:30 pm
  18. Sam Miles
    $50.00 11/01/22 @ 10:04 pm
  19. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/03/22 @ 9:52 am
  20. Jody and Laura Ragonese
    $50.00 11/03/22 @ 2:09 pm
  21. Mary Beth Cary
    $50.00 11/07/22 @ 11:36 am
  22. Ian Yeager
    $30.00 11/08/22 @ 11:33 am
  23. Anonymous
    $20.00 11/09/22 @ 12:01 pm
  24. Melissa Lee
    $50.00 11/10/22 @ 10:14 am
  25. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/10/22 @ 2:20 pm
  26. Anonymous
    $30.00 11/11/22 @ 12:40 pm
  27. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/11/22 @ 3:04 pm
  28. Anonymous
    $100.00 11/12/22 @ 9:01 am
  29. Meg Kettlitz
    $100.00 11/17/22 @ 11:12 am
  30. Gail Woody
    $30.00 11/17/22 @ 3:04 pm
  31. Heather Brant
    $30.00 11/19/22 @ 3:08 pm
  32. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/20/22 @ 6:45 pm
  33. Cecilia Nachtmann
    $40.00 11/21/22 @ 3:05 pm
  34. Kurt Harvey
    $20.00 11/21/22 @ 3:43 pm
  35. Michael Holden
    $50.00 11/28/22 @ 9:14 am
  36. Anonymous
    $200.00 11/28/22 @ 2:52 pm
  37. Marie Longo
    $20.00 11/28/22 @ 3:45 pm
  38. Trecia Neal
    $30.00 11/28/22 @ 3:57 pm
  39. Lois Saito
    $50.00 11/28/22 @ 4:47 pm
  40. Alexa McKay
    $50.00 11/28/22 @ 5:17 pm
  41. Mark Barton
    $200.00 11/28/22 @ 5:32 pm
  42. Ellen Reeder
    $50.00 11/28/22 @ 5:40 pm
  43. Ashley Morrow
    $20.00 11/28/22 @ 5:47 pm
  44. Greg Pearson
    $500.00 11/28/22 @ 5:56 pm
  45. Kurt Harvey
    $20.00 11/28/22 @ 6:25 pm
  46. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/28/22 @ 7:14 pm
  47. Anonymous
    $30.00 11/28/22 @ 9:39 pm
  48. Anonymous
    $20.00 11/28/22 @ 9:45 pm
  49. Anonymous
    $30.00 11/29/22 @ 2:55 am
  50. Patty Pasztor
    $200.00 11/29/22 @ 9:37 am
  51. Holly Houser
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 12:43 pm
  52. Holly Houser
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 12:46 pm
  53. Steve Robinson
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 2:39 pm
  54. Becky Harrison
    $100.00 11/29/22 @ 3:32 pm
  55. Anonymous
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 5:36 pm
  56. Meagan Fastuca
    $30.00 11/29/22 @ 5:51 pm
  57. Karen Bates
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 8:02 pm
  58. Anonymous
    $100.00 11/29/22 @ 8:52 pm
  59. Sharon McCullough
    $50.00 11/29/22 @ 9:22 pm
  60. Jackie Salas
    $100.00 11/29/22 @ 11:16 pm
  61. Stuart Sims
    $50.00 11/30/22 @ 11:37 am
  62. Stuart Sims
    $50.00 11/30/22 @ 11:40 am
  63. Dara Satterfield
    $50.00 12/06/22 @ 10:13 am
  64. Stuart Sims
    $100.00 12/06/22 @ 10:13 am
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