In this podcast episode, Darlene Goehl joins ‘The Stream by AASHTO’ to discuss the joint work of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) with Texas Department of Transportation in building Monarch Flight Diverters or MFDs – a series of tall, mesh barriers placed along busy roads that motivate the butterflies to fly above the roadway, well above vehicles traveling on the highway below. Researchers have noted sharp declines in Monarch populations, specifically during their migration periods in the fall. In some years, researchers found that nearly 3 percent of the Monarch’s fall migratory population were lost after being struck by vehicles traveling on roads; this number represents about half of the population decline in a given year.

Goehl discusses the importance of monarch butterflies to the ecology and cultural symbology of the southern U.S. and northern Mexico, the role of transportation, and how TTI identifies “hot spots” for Monarch roadkill. From there, Goehl explains the implementation and feasibility of MFDs in Texas and how the project will fare into the future.

This podcast series is part of the AASHTO Environmental Management technical service program operated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect state departments of transportation and the infrastructure programs they oversee.