Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Texas A&M AgriLife, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) have jointly released new research identifying Monarch butterfly migration corridors along Texas highways. The project is presented as an example of “sound science, cooperation, and private-land stewardship” supporting pollinator conservation in a state that plays a central role in the species’ migratory pathway.
According to the partners involved, the study provides actionable information for landowners, local governments, and transportation agencies. The research highlights opportunities such as “smarter mowing schedules” and “targeted traffic mitigation,” measures that can reduce mortality along critical migration routes while maintaining local operational flexibility.
The announcement comes shortly after new data showed a significant increase in the number of Eastern Monarch butterflies. A report from the World Wildlife Fund–Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance (WWF) and Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) found that the population wintering in central Mexico’s forests “occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres the previous winter.” Researchers noted that the nearly twofold increase marks one of the most encouraging signs for the species in recent years.
Texas’ geographic position makes it integral to Monarch survival, and participants in the study emphasized the importance of locally informed, on-the-ground conservation. The collaborative effort underscores confidence that targeted, science-backed management can support pollinators while avoiding what some stakeholders describe as unnecessary regulatory burdens.
More information on the research is available through the Texas A&M AgriLife link below.
https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2025/11/12/research-maps-monarch-migration-along-texas-highways
