Last chance to catch Maryland monarchs before migration

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - If you haven’t taken the time to see the monarch butterflies in Maryland before they migrate to Mexico, your time is running out.

After spending the late summer in Maryland, the monarchs will soon spend autumn en route to the border.

For over two decades, wildlife experts and scientists have been tracking the monarchs during their migration using a process called "tagging."

In the tagging process, tiny stickers marked with letters and numbers are placed on the butterflies, and then recovered in Mexico. Only about one in 1,000 tags are ever recovered, according the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

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The agency is inviting residents to visit state parks to learn more about monarchs from park rangers – you might even have an opportunity to participate in the tagging process.

Call the following parks to learn more:

- Deep Creek Lake State Park (Western Region)

- Fort Frederick State Park (Western Region)

- Gunpowder Falls State Park - Hammerman Area (Central Region)

- Point Lookout State Park (Southern Region)