As western monarch butterflies prepare to retreat to groves along the California coast for the winter, conservationists are asking the public to report sightings ahead of the annual count.

The California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for preserving the state’s biodiversity, said that the data from these observations will help scientists understand where these butterflies are at different times of the year. The effort is part of California Biodiversity Day, which is celebrated across nine days from Sept. 5-13 and aims to promote activities that protect the state’s natural ecosystems.

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Alise is a general assignment reporter with a focus on covering government, elections, housing, crime, courts and entertainment in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Alise is a Bay Area native from San Carlos. She studied history at University of California, Santa Cruz and first started journalism at Skyline College’s school newspaper in San Bruno. She has interned for Bay City News and for Eesti Rahvusringhääling, or Estonian Public Broadcasting. She has covered everything from the removal of former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus to the divisive battle over the Great Highway on San Francisco’s west side. Please send her any tips.