Project Monarch

Cellular Tracking Technologies

About this app

Project Monarch is an effort to leverage recent advances in tracking technology, that have enabled the development of the world’s smallest tracking devices, to track Monarch migration.

The tracking devices on the monarch butterflies transmit at the same frequency as Bluetooth which means that everyone with a smartphone is carrying around a receiver in their pocket! This revolutionary approach can potentially create the largest wildlife tracking receiver network in the world, but only if members of the public download and use the free Project Monarch app.

These data will allow scientists to track the movements of monarch butterflies in detail never previously imagined. We will see how monarchs utilize key stopping points along migratory routes and learn more about the speed and direction of migration, helping identify the most important sites for habitat conservation and restoration. Ultimately, this technology can help guide conservation planning and lead to increases in monarch populations.

Ratings and reviews

Keeps crashing. Per others' comments, I enabled location sharing, share with other devices. The app occasionally asks for these permissions but most of the time it just crashes. For an app that has great crowd-sourcing potential and scientific data, it should be more robust. I give up.

I downloaded the app after reading the 5 Star comment by Patrick. I launched the app on the first try. When the app downloads there's a quick message at the bottom saying you'll get an email. Clicking the link in the email opened the App. Now all I need is a Monarch wearing a tracker!

To keep the app from crashing on launch, first goo into permissions and permit location sharing and nearby devices; then it works and it's very cool! It would be good if the app told you this instead of crashing... (Oh and yes, the verification email does tend to go to spam, so check for it there.)