Butterflies tagged in effort to track their movement

The delicate yet durable monarch butterfly is the subject of a lecture in central Iowa tonight — a class that will conclude with “tagging” the tiny flying creatures. While it may sound like a tedious task, the experts say it’s not hard to catch and properly tag the winged beauties.Heidi Anderson is a naturalist with the Polk County Conservation Board. She says the numbered stickers or “tags” will be placed on the monarchs’ wings so we can learn more about the abilities of the black-and-orange butterflies.Anderson says the monarch makes a very long trip in its eight-month life.Tonight’s event begins at 6:30 at the Raccoon River Nature Lodge in West Des Moines. Participation is free.