Welcome to MAREN
MAREN is a network of researchers and educators who are searching for answers to big questions about milkweed, an important food source for monarch butterflies. We strive to include students in collecting data and making discoveries.
Events and Announcements
- We plan to offer variety of virtual and in-person workshops this summer May – July 2023. We welcome and need your participation! Learn more about the workshops here. Apply Now!
- For participants in the Local Adaptation study, we are planning a data retreat in Ohio June 14-15. We plan to compare data from the Local Adaptation study to the ongoing Provenance Trial study and make some decisions about next steps.
- Check out our latest publication in Restoration Ecology! Common milkweed seeds exhibit latitudinal clines more consistent with adaptation to growing season length than to temperature.
- Spring is coming early this year in parts of the milkweed range: over 60% of seeds outplanted in Virginia had already germinated by early March! We anticipate taking our third and final year of measurements on thousands of milkweed plants in the common gardens in Ohio, Virginia, and Minnesota.
- We continue to invite participation in the Phenology Project! We’ve successfully engaged students in gathering and analyzing these data, and we hope to be on the front lines measuring the impacts of shifts in phenology on milkweed interactions with monarchs and other insects!
Recent Contributions to our Library
Visit Our Library
View and contribute to stories, videos, photos, lesson plans, publications, presentations, student works, and other creative contributions.
See Educational Resources
Our “Got Milkweed?” and “Phenology and Herbivory” curricula use student participation to inform our discoveries about milkweed.
Meet our Partners
Our network has over 30 partners, and we are always welcoming to new members!