River Partners

Our regular “Eyes in the Wild” series typically shares wildlife sightings spotted at restoration sites, but we want to highlight something at our Chico office, where we have a small native plant garden that features native plants. These relatively tiny habitats can be vital for wildlife, especially pollinators, and there are even programs that recognize home gardeners (search online for “National Wildlife Federation native plant habitats”). Safety and Office Administrator Mona Dagy planted milkweed plugs here five years ago. Year after year, she and our Chico staff waited to spot one. When the moment finally arrived, Associate Restoration Scientist Jeremy Dustin saw this beautiful butterfly and snapped this photo.

Given that this monarch is a male—determined by a black dot on its hind wing called a “field mark”—and was spending time in the milkweed flowers in mid-May, it was likely dining on the energy-rich nectar for its flight across the Sacramento Valley. If it had been a female, it would either have been drinking nectar or searching for a safe spot to lay her eggs. Since milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat, the adult female will first taste the plant with her feet to confirm it is indeed the correct species before depositing tiny, single eggs on the undersides of the leaves or near the flower buds. By laying eggs on milkweed, she ensures her future caterpillars can feed on the plant’s milky sap.

Four decades ago, Western monarchs numbered around 4.5 million. Today, the population has declined by more than 99 percent, driven by habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Our window to reverse the trend is narrowing fast. But River Partners is committed to a bold goal: planting 15 million milkweed plants for monarchs across California by 2030. River Partners is adding milkweed seeds to plugs to our future restoration project plans, from the Northern Sacramento Valley to the Imperial Valley. Our nonprofit native seed venture, Heritage Growers, provides seeds and plants for the vast majority of these efforts.

Read more at:

Eyes in the Wild: A River Partners Wildlife Journal – May Edition - River Partners This month, a honeybee swarm, a mother with her babies, and a special wildlife sighting at River Partners’ headquarters

Every year, millions of birds, bats, and butterflies move through California’s San Joaquin Valley. And for most of that journey, River Partners has largely been blind to them. But in January, we started getting a little help from a pair of Motus stations. These towers feature multiple antennae that receive signals from tagged wildlife and were installed at Dos Rios State Park (just west of Modesto) and Panorama Vista Preserve (in Bakersfield).

With a clear line of sight, antennas can detect animals within 9-12 miles and will give River Partners a better understanding of migration routes, stopover sites, and the timing of movements in this vital migratory corridor. Motus technology uses lightweight radio tags to provide real-time data on the migration of birds, bats, and butterflies, helping scientists better understand how these species use restored habitats. Traditional Motus tags for birds weigh as little as 0.2 grams. Butterfly tags are even smaller and lighter, weighing a feathery 0.06 grams.

The California Wildlife Conservation Board provided funding for this research, and other key partnerships include Audubon California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Southern Sierra Research Station, California State Parks, and Kern River Corridor Endowment.

📸 Butterfly by Kalvin Chan, Motus.org
📸 Bird by Southern Sierra Research Station, Annie Meyer

To explore more about how Motus stations will help River Partners and other scientists and conservationists in California, please read our story here: https://riverpartners.org/news/motus-kickstarts-new-era-of-science-at-river-partners/

At River Partners, we’re securing California’s ecological and climate future for habitat, wildlife, and communities. In doing so, we’re also guiding the next generation of restoration leaders to continue that work into the future.

Each summer since 2018, Restoration Fellows have spent eight weeks working right alongside River Partners biologists, ecologists, and project managers, with a front-row seat to the inner workings of large-scale restoration at one of California’s leading restoration organizations. This summer, River Partners is offering early-career professionals in our Chico and Modesto offices hands-on field experience, learning about our riparian ecosystems and how to restore them, and a learning pathway.

From soil sampling and vegetation monitoring to GIS mapping and report writing, Restoration Fellows gain practical, real-world skills that set them up for success in the conservation field.

“There are a lot of opportunities to learn what you do and don’t like in this field because there are so many different pathways you can take to still fulfill that natural resource career mindset,” said River Partners Restoration Science Ecologist Restoration Fellows Program Coordinator Holly Ferrara. “There are so many different ways you can make a difference in the environmental world.”

Read more about our Restoration Fellow program here:

Growing the Next Generation of Restoration Leaders - River Partners River Partners is providing early-career professionals a front-row seat to large-scale environmental change

Our nonprofit native seed farm, Heritage Growers, is tackling one of the most fundamental — and least visible — environmental recovery challenges facing the American West: the shortage of locally adapted native seeds needed to restore damaged ecosystems at scale. With 208 acres in production, the farm grows and amplifies “source-identified” seed — plant material whose genetic origin can be traced to the specific region where it will ultimately be replanted. This gives the seed the best possible chance to survive.

Founded in 2021, Heritage Growers is currently producing around 40,000 pounds of native seed for restoration efforts throughout the state and is key to helping River Partners’ goal of placing 15 million milkweed plants into the ground by 2030. From providing seeds and plugs to help restore the Klamath River habitat to planning for enough product for 6,000 acres of restoration project implementation in the San Joaquin Valley, Heritage Growers' mission “is to restore habitat for the benefit of people and the environment,” said General Manager Pat Reynolds.

Read more about Heritage Growers in the fantastic article by Reasons to be Cheerful here:

The Native Seed Farm Safeguarding California's Future At Heritage Growers, every acre is being cultivated to repair ecosystems and help the Golden State meet its ambitious conservation goals.