Alert! Alert! This is a time sensitive episode!  The new year monarch count is nearly upon us, and if you want to get involved, now is the time! www.westernmonarchcount.org Whether or not you are geographically able to count the monarch, I'm sure you'd love to learn more about one of our most charismatic invertebrates. The monarch butterfly is a migratory butterfly; well-documented, and surely one of the public-facing wonders of the insect world. In this episode, we learn all about the monarch, from its fascinating relationship with plants, to the ways that colonialism has impacted ancient migratory routes. We learn about its toxic defenses, and hear what its like to stand among and experience, first-hand, one of nature's great sights. There's something for everyone here (providing that everyone is wild about butterflies). Eagle eared listeners will hear that I didn't have my proper mic. Eagle eared listeners will mind their own.