Help Monarchs on their Long Migration South

In New York, Monarch butterflies begin their annual fall migration in mid-August. These butterflies are the great-great-grandchildren of the monarchs that migrated to Mexico last fall.

Here are some ways you can help monarchs:

• Turn a portion of your lawn into a wildflower meadow to provide food (nectar)—plant milkweed or other native wildflowers.
• Delay mowing areas with milkweed until later in the fall.
• Avoid using pesticides—they kill all life-stages of monarchs (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult).
• Report sightings of adults or caterpillars online. View a map of the sightings so far this year—caterpillars have already been spotted across the northeast!

 Not sure when their migration peaks in your area? Check out this chart.

Chrysalis Stage 

Have you seen a small green pod about an inch-long? This is a monarch caterpillar (larva) after it enters the pupa stage and is now in a chrysalis. If you see one, try not to disturb it. They will find a safe place, often under a milkweed leaf to enter this stage in their development, which lasts about 9-14 days. Sometimes they will pupate hanging under eaves, decks, other garden plants, or even on window screens!

Photo of monarch caterpillar eating milkweed by Sandy Van Vranken.

Reduce Your Risk of Rabies Infection

As warm weather encourages more outdoor activities, encounters with wildlife increase. Wild animals can potentially carry diseases such as rabies. The New York State Department of Health (NYDOH) is urging New Yorkers to take precautions to prevent rabies infections and strongly advises against handling wild animals. In consideration of that messaging, DEC reminds New Yorkers—if you care, leave it there.

Though most wild animals are healthy, people should be aware that some wild animals can carry rabies, which is most commonly seen in bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Any mammal can be infected with rabies, including unvaccinated household pets and feral cats. The virus is transmitted by infected animals through their saliva and is usually transmitted to people and animals through a bite, but transmission can also occur if the saliva gets into the eyes, nose, mouth, or a break in the skin.

Changes in an animal’s behavior can indicate rabies infection. An animal may become unusually aggressive or tame. The animal may lose its fear of people and natural predators. Staggering, convulsions, choking, and paralysis are sometimes seen. Anyone who has potentially been exposed to a rabid animal should wash the bite or exposure area thoroughly with soap and water, seek medical attention immediately, and report the incident to the local county health department.

Take the following precautions to avoid the risk of rabies infection:

• Don’t feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, stray dogs, or feral cats.
• Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to your local county health department. If possible, without putting people or pets at additional risk, do not let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies.
• Be sure household pets and livestock animals are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
• Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal or had any direct contact with a bat.
• Keep property free of stored bird seed or other foods to avoid attracting wild animals.
• The local health department should be contacted if a bat is found inside the house. They will advise on what to do with the bat.

Individuals who encounter nuisance or damaging wildlife living in or around parts of their home may consult a nuisance wildlife control operator about removing them. Nuisance wildlife control operators are private business owners licensed by DEC to handle and remove wildlife issues in and around your home. If a wild animal appears sick, email DEC’s Wildlife Bureau or Wildlife Health Unit.

Photo of raccoon by Fred Couse.

Draft State Wildlife Action Plan Released

DEC is seeking public input on the draft revised State Wildlife Action Plan for 2025-35. The State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is New York State’s guiding document for managing and conserving species and habitats before they become too rare or costly to restore. In 2024, DEC sought review and input on draft species status assessments and the list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Relevant data and other feedback helped us revise the SGCN list and were incorporated into the species status assessments that are now available for final review.

The SWAP guides management actions for New York’s SGCN and is a requirement for New York to participate in the federally funded State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. SGCN are species native to New York that are currently experiencing threats that would likely result in further declines if conservation actions are not implemented within the next 10 years.

The public is invited to provide input on the SWAP chapters and appendices, including any additional sources of information on the status and distribution of New York’s SGCN, new information on threats to these species, or updates on completed or ongoing conservation projects. Information on efforts initiated by conservation partners since 2015 to monitor, conserve, or manage populations of SGCN or their habitats are also requested. Comments are due by Sept. 20, 2025. Submit comments by email to nyswap2025@dec.ny.gov (please include “Draft SWAP Comments” in the subject line). Information may also be sent by mail to:

SWAP Coordinator
Division of Fish and Wildlife
NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4754

Summer Turkey Sighting Survey 2025

While you are out exploring New York’s beautiful August landscapes, be sure to keep an eye out for wild turkeys and report your observations to the DEC. Since 1996, the DEC has conducted the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey to track wild turkey productivity (the proportion of young of the year to adult hens) across the state. This index allows the DEC to gauge reproductive success and predict future turkey populations and harvest opportunities. Turkey reproductive success in New York, as measured by this survey, is consistently higher than southeastern and many midwestern states, but remains lower than it was in the early 2000s. However, in 2024, statewide turkey reproductive success was the highest estimated in over 15 years, likely because of favorable spring weather. You can view turkey productivity estimates from past years on the Fall Turkey Harvest and Productivity Dashboard.

How to participate in this community science opportunity:

• Keep an eye out for wild turkeys as you’re out and about during the month of August.
• When you observe a flock, record the number of adult females, adult males, and poults (young of the year) that you see.
• When you’re at a computer or on your smartphone, submit your observation online.
• Make an attempt to report the same flock only once.
• Observing and counting wildlife can be challenging. Only report flocks when you’re confident you observed the entire group. Partial flock observations can bias the estimates of reproductive success. Using binoculars can greatly improve the odds you’re able to observe an entire flock.

Thank you for your participation!

Photo of male and female turkey by James Monteleone.