21 Sep Fall 2026: Dry Landscapes at Fort Hood Monarch Habitat
partially arid and brown
I’m officially back in the field for three weeks now and currently doing another round of IMMP Fall surveys. The second and third weeks were fairly exhausting sometimes because of the changing heat and humidity – like it still the peak of summer out here. I think everyone feels the same if you are in Texas.
The field has been quiet since I visited all the plots – everything was partially arid and brown, with reduced blooming plants exist than last year. A recent article from Texas Crop and Weather Report by Kay Ledbetter (2026) stated that Texas has fallen into at least early drought stages, of which more than 35% in the state is experiencing severe drought – and that increase of 25% more than this time last year. The data was sourced out from Texas Drought Monitor map.
I pulled out a picture of MJV 14 from last year to get a comparative view of the field to this year’s Fall survey. It notably displayed that the field last year, with all the grass and flowering plants, was greener than this year’s dry field. Up to date, an estimated 5 or 6 plots out of 24 plots still have partial green field but majority of the plots are dry with short to dense green grass. Blooming plants and milkweed are sparse and patchy.
Photos of MJV 14 taken in September: Left (Fall 2025) and Right (Fall 2026)
drought effect
In some ways, the dry and short grass in the field this Fall kind of exposes over 100 milkweed plants, mostly young (sapling) Asclepsias viridis (Green Milkweed) I hardly seen in Spring because of the dense and tall grass. And I am only referring to this one specific plot. Another plot that has over 100 single milkweeds surveyed from Spring have all withered this Fall. I think this drought help expose these milkweed plants with short and dryer grass fields make it visible. Maybe yes – but several (environmental) factors vary in each site, not just the drought.
signs of resilience
WHere are the monarchs?
So far, we have not seen any monarch activity for the past three weeks and we are keeping track of their arrival in a couple of weeks in Central Texas. Last reported sighting of adult monarch was in Salado, Texas on July 13, 2026 (Journey North Map).
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