<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Consolas;
panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;}
pre
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
color:black;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";
color:black;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.HTMLPreformattedChar
{mso-style-name:"HTML Preformatted Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted";
font-family:Consolas;
color:black;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";
color:black;}
p.dek, li.dek, div.dek
{mso-style-name:dek;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle26
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle27
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle28
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:21513370;
mso-list-template-ids:595070240;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1109276024;
mso-list-template-ids:-692280436;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>Thanks to Larry Stritch for passing on this incredible announcement!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'>__________________________________________________________________________________________</span><o:p></o:p></p><h1><u><span style='font-size:18.0pt;color:blue'><a href="http://www.citylab.com/">CityLab</a></span></u><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;font-weight:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></u></h1><h1>A Strange Cloud Over St. Louis Turns Out to Be an Enormous Swarm of Butterflies<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=dek>In a weird twist, the swarm itself resembles a huge butterfly.<o:p></o:p></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><a href="http://www.citylab.com/authors/john-metcalfe/" title="John Metcalfe">John Metcalfe</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=citycalfe">@citycalfe</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'>Sep 22, 2014<o:p></o:p></li></ul><div id=article-body><div><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=620 height=451 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:part4.02050607.06030902@gmail.com">(<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-975647p1.html">Michael Warwick</a>/<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>) <o:p></o:p></p><p>Late last week, meteorologists in St. Louis noticed a cloud acting peculiarly: It was beating a path toward Mexico while changing into a variety of odd shapes. Was it a radar glitch? The debris signature of a south-moving tornado?<o:p></o:p></p><p>The answer was more heartening—and bizarre. After analyzing the reflections, the National Weather Service concluded they showed an immense swarm of Monarch butterflies migrating to their winter home in the Mexican mountains:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=620 height=597 id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:part7.08010600.05040300@gmail.com">(<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWSStLouis/posts/823126227719190">NWS St. Louis</a>) <o:p></o:p></p><p>Here's how it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NWS/posts/10153480982684041">technically arrived at that conclusion</a>, for the weather geeks out there:<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p>Keen observers of our radar data probably noticed some fairly high returns moving south over southern Illinois and central Missouri. High differential reflectivity values as well as low correlation coefficient values indicate these are most likely biological targets. High differential reflectivity indicates these are oblate targets, and low correlation coefficient means the targets are changing shape. We think these targets are Monarch butterflies. A Monarch in flight would look oblate to the radar, and flapping wings would account for the changing shape! NWS St. Louis wishes good luck and a safe journey to these amazing little creatures on their long journey south!<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><p>North America's Monarch population has been in decline, reaching <a href="http://www.citylab.com/weather/2013/08/tracking-years-dismally-small-monarch-migration/6495/">record-low numbers</a> in the past couple of years due to habitat loss and perhaps extreme weather. These radar shots provide a spot of good news in that, while struggling, the Monarchs aren't extinct quite yet. Indeed, people on the weather service's Facebook page have reported seeing them fluttering around the region. "They are flying over my Missouri home today," says one. Adds another: "I have been seeing some coming thru OKC in the last week or so. They are beautiful."<o:p></o:p></p><p>Also beautiful—and strange—is that the shape of the swarm itself resembles a giant butterfly. The last time that sort of radar coincidence happened may have been in 2011, when thousands of birds <a href="http://www.wjla.com/blogs/weather/2011/01/arkasas-radar-image-of-doomed-birds-itself-looks-like-a-giant-bird-6849.html">formed into a bird shape</a> above Beebe, Arkansas, right before <a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/weathermatrix/4k-and-20-blackbirds-downed-from-the-sky/43945">falling out of the sky, dead</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=620 height=601 id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:part13.04000502.08050602@gmail.com">(NWS St. Louis) <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>-- <o:p></o:p></p><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>Loretta Lohman, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>Nonpoint Source Outreach Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>Colorado State University <o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>Colorado Water Institute<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>3375 W. Aqueduct Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>Littleton, CO 80123<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'><a href="mailto:lorettalohman@gmail.com">lorettalohman@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'><a href="mailto:loretta.lohman@colostate.edu">loretta.lohman@colostate.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>303-549-3063<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span style='font-size:7.5pt'><a href="http://www.npscolorado.com">www.npscolorado.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></pre><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Kelly Rourke<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Program Associate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pollinator Partnership<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>423 Washington Street, 5th Floor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>San Francisco, CA 94111<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>e: </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><a href="mailto:kr@pollinator.org">kr@pollinator.org</a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>w: </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/"><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'>www.pollinator.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>p: 415.362.1137</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><br></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePollinatorPartnership"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01CFDD6B.C994E010" alt="cid:image001.png@01CF8022.906D0160"></span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/Pollinators"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01CFDD6B.C994E010" alt="cid:image002.png@01CF8022.906D0160"></span></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PollinatorPartners"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.png@01CFDD6B.C994E010" alt="cid:image003.png@01CF8022.906D0160"></span></a><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PollinatorOrg/about"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image004.png@01CFDD6B.C994E010" alt="cid:image004.png@01CF8022.906D0160"></span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:4.5pt;text-align:justify'><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=172 height=77 id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image005.png@01CFDD6B.C994E010"></span></a><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>