Dr. Ries recently visited the wintering grounds of Monarchs in Oyamel forests of Mexico, witnessing the millions of Monarchs preparing for the spring migration.

The Ries lab is actively engaged in Monarch research and conservation, working with Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, Journey North, and others to better understand Monarch declines. The lab currently has scientists in the field after receiving NSF "RAPID" funding to see how extreme precipitation events like Hurricane Harvey impact resources for spring and fall Monarch migration in Texas. This project is a collaboration with Michigan State University scientists Elise Zipkin and Sarah Saunders, and was recently highlighted on the Georgetown University homepage. More here.