
Researchers are calling on the public to report monarch butterfly sightings in eight southern and Gulf states.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced the effort on Thursday.
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Scientists want to hear about sightings from Dec. 1 to March 1 in Texas as well as North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The observations should be reported at JourneyNorth.org.
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Researchers say the information may help conservation efforts by determining if the butterflies can spend the winter as non-breeding adults in the southern U.S.
Monarch populations have declined significantly over the past two decades.