How to become a Budburst Citizen Scientist
Understand the science of phenology, its history and contributions.
Meet the five Budburst plant groups, and
Review key phenology events within each plant group.
Select your plant: one featured by a Budburst Project or Partner, or
one from the over 400 Budburst plants!
Will this be a phenology, pollinator, or special project observation?
Register as a Budburst citizen scientist to create your account,
Post your observation reports, and
Review and analyze your data.

Milkweeds and Monarchs
Summer 2020 - Fall 2025
Declines in monarch butterfly populations in North America may be due to declines in milkweed plants, a necessary part of the butterfly's reproductive cycle. The butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on milkweeds, which their caterpillars (larvae) rely on for food as they develop. Researchers are studying the relationship between milkweeds and monarchs more closely, and Budburst is enlisting our citizen scientists to help answer the question, do monarch butterflies prefer to lay eggs on flowering or non-flowering milkweed stems?