Millions of Monarch Butterflies Make the Mexican Forest Their Home for the Winter

Millions of Monarch Butterflies Make the Mexican Forest Their Home for the Winter

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies travel up to 2,800 miles to the forests of Central Mexico to escape the cold. After braving the elements, these butterflies turn Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve into an orange-and-black wonderland. From October to March, they carpet the trees and the ground as they rest, reproduce, and get ready for the trip back north in the spring.

Although the life cycle of a monarch butterfly lasts about a month, the ones that are born shortly before migration delay their reproductive stage to make the trip, making them live up to nine months. This means that, from one year to the next, the butterflies that make the journey are great-great-granddaughters of those who traveled on the previous migration. And yet, they all know the way and even return to the same trees where their ancestors were born. They only fly during the day and use the sun and an “internal compass” to guide them.

Though popular in Mexico, their habitat was only discovered by the outside world in 1975 after Fred Urquhart, a Canadian zoologist, decided to track and trace the route of the butterflies he saw in his garden in Toronto. When he learned that one of the butterflies he had tagged had been seen in Mexico, he placed an ad in a newspaper asking for volunteers to go in search of the monarch butterfly's winter habitat.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

What was discovered by accident became a 138,000-acre reserve that spans the states of Mexico and Michoacán. In 2008, the area was named a World Heritage site—one that received half a million visitors last season. That's why responsible tourism practices are key when visiting these sites. Walk-in guided tours are usually available, allowing visitors to get firsthand knowledge about these creatures.

Monarch butterflies are an endangered species, but over-tourism is far from the only threat they face. The rise in avocado consumption in the U.S. has turned avocado farming into a lucrative business, prompting farmers to make room for avocado orchards by cutting the oak and pine trees that surround the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. And while tourists continue to pour in, the number of butterflies that made it to their wintering grounds fell by 59% this year.

If you ever find yourself visiting this natural area, it's important to follow the guide's instructions, such as staying on the designated trails, remaining quiet to avoid disturbing the butterflies, avoiding flash photography, and protecting the insects by not bringing in pets or food. The more care we put into this natural wonder, the more people will get to witness it in the future.

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies travel up to 2,800 miles to the forests of Central Mexico to escape the cold.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

After braving the elements, they turn Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve into an orange-and-black wonderland.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

h/t: [National Geographic]

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