Bio, Media and More

Rachel is a Utah native who grew up when monarch butterflies were plentiful. She has spent the past decade as a “Citizen Scientist”, planting milkweed, attracting and tagging monarchs, and gaining expertise in these amazing creatures.  She founded “Utah Friends of Monarchs” and shares native milkweed seeds freely throughout the state, offering presentations on “Saving the Monarchy” to organizations ranging from gardening groups to Red Butte Garden, and Osher Lifelong Learning to the BLM.  

Saving the Monarchy

Rachel Taylor TEDxSaltLakeCity June 2022 

A 12 minute TEDx talk on Saving the Monarchy.

"A heartfelt and informative talk on how simple changes can make a big impact for monarchs and other pollinators, from a western state perspective but applicable to all monarchs." (Sageland Collaborative)


This one hour recording was done for the Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, Utah.  The webinar focuses on (1) the decline of the monarch, (2) an overview of the monarch lifecycle, including migration, and (3) what we can do to help


Have you heard the buzz? Why we need pollinators

Have you heard the buzz about pollinators? Bees, butterflies, wasps, and even some flies live fascinating lives and play critical roles in our ecosystems. Come learn why we should make more room for pollinators in our yards and how to do it. 

Guests: Rachel Taylor, Founder of Utah Friends of Monarchs Joseph (Joe) Wilson, Associate Professor of Biology, Utah State University; co-author of several books, including "Common Bees of Eastern North America" and "The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees"