Monarch and Pollinator News, Alerts, Tips, and Tricks

March 2026

Pollinator Spotlight

Crotch's Bumble Bee

Crotch's Bumblebee (Bombus crotchii) is a species of bumble bee native to California. Crotch's Bumble Bee have a square-shaped face and rounded ankle on their midleg. Workers are active from April to August and queen bees are active for only two months from March until May.

Know Your Plants

California Wildrose

Did you know that California has its' own rose species? The California Wildrose (Rosa californica) blooms in the Spring and Summer, attracting a plethora of pollinators. This plant is easy to care for, benefitting from supplemental irrigation and moist, loamy soil.

Western Monarch Screening

Saturday, March 7th, 5pm to 7:30pm

🎥In partnership with Xerces Society, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, and Santa Monica Mountains RCD, the VCRCD is hosting a screening of Ian Nelson's Film Western Monarch Butterflies: Protecting Our Pollinators. 🎥

Join us Saturday, March 7th from 5 to 8pm at Peter Strauss Ranch. Pre-show activities begin at 5pm, with a Q&A panel at 6pm and the film beginning at 6:30pm. Tickets are $15, and children under 12 get in for free! Learn more about the event and purchase tickets using the button below.

Learn More & Purchase Screening Tickets

April MRAC Meeting

Join us for our next Monarch Regional Advisory Committee Meeting on April 2nd from 2pm to 4pm! We will hear from Kyle Nessen on overwintering monarchs and wind, Charis can der Heide on monarch tagging, Alaric Balibrera on milkweed germination research, and Chris Amendt on the protection of overwintering sites in Ventura County. View the agenda and access the meeting link via the button below.

MRAC Agenda & Meeting Link

Bring Back the Pollinator Pledge Q&A: Planting for Pollinators!

On March 11 at 10am, Xerces Society is hosting a Pollinator Planting Q&A Panel! Come prepared with questions to get advice about how to select native plants with season-long bloom to provide nectar and pollen for the pollinators in your habitat. Learn more and register for the webinar using the button below.

Xerces 2026 Habitat Kit Program

Xerces is now accepting project proposals for their 2026 California Habitat Kit season. If you are interested in receiving free, high quality native plant materials for your pollinator conservation project, this program is for you. To learn more and apply, use the button below.

Learn More & Apply

Spring into Pollinator-Safe Gardening: Protecting Habitat from Pesticides

Join Sharon Selvaggio and Aaron Anderson from Xerces Society on March 12 at 10am for a pesticide webinar! Learn about unexpected pesticide sources, pesticide risks, reducing pesticide use at home to protect your habitat, and pesticide alternatives. Learn more and register for the webinar using the button below.

Essay by Doug Tallamy in CNPS Flora Magazine

In his short, yet powerful, essay titled "We Know Enough to Act," Ecologist Doug Tallamy provides insight on the upsides and urgency of bringing native plants to California's landscapes. Read the essay via the button below.

Read the Essay

Caring for Native Plants in Winter

Winter is the cooler, rainy season when roots establish and plants grow in the southern California climate. In Ventura County, we have been fortunate this winter with well-timed rains, and our new plantings have thrived. If rains don't occur for several weeks, you will want to water native plants that are less than two years old to help them continue to establish deep roots. To learn more, read our blog post via the button below.

Insect ID and Their Role in Ecosystems

Curious about the critters crawling and flying through your garden? Join Monarch Joint Venture staff on April 15th from at 11 am PST for a lively and informative session on identifying the insects and invertebrates most commonly found in green spaces. Registration is $20; learn more using the button below.

Learn More

2025 Western Monarch Count: Numbers Remain Historically Low

Approximately 12,260 monarchs were recorded across 249 sites during the typical peak overwintering period from late November through early December 2025. This is the third lowest total since the count began in 1997. To read more about the count, threats to monarchs, and the sites with the highest counts, access the button below.

Learn More

For more information on the Ventura County RCD,

please visit vcrcd.org.