The numbers of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrating annually across North America have decreased considerably over the last decade. In order that future generations may appreciate this species and its migratory phenomenon, scientists, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and citizen scientists across North America have focused enormous effort to document sightings of every life stage of the monarch (egg, larvae, chrysalis, or adult) and its critical habitat (plants of the genus Asclepias and nectar plants).

The Trinational Monarch Knowledge Network (TMKN) is a trinational database that assembles observations of monarch butterflies and of milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), the only plants on which monarchs lay their eggs, throughout the range of monarchs in North America. To know more about the mission, goals, and story of the TMKN, visit the About the TMKN section. This database can be accessed by any person who wishes to learn more about the monarch butterfly for educational, research, or even leisure purposes.

The TMKN gathers information from several monarch initiatives (nodes). If you want to learn more, contribute, or comment on any of those initiatives, visit our List of Nodes.

The TMKN Toolbox is used for data analysis and draws from the Avian Knowledge Network. With this toolbox you can download specific data by date, area, or project. Also, you can use the visualization tools to generate maps, charts, and tables that will help you organize your own work or study the thousands of items the TMKN compiles. The Trinational Monarch Knowledge Network was created through the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC’s) Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation project.