Monarch Butterflies Migrate By The Millions To Central Mexico

By Mónica Ortiz Uribe
February 17, 2015

This is the time of year when millions of monarch butterflies migrate south to the forests of central Mexico. They gather in high altitudes outside the city of Zitacuaro in the state of Michoacan.

A stone-paved road takes you from downtown Zitacuaro to those mountains in less than an hour. For decades, those mountains held a secret coveted by scientists in the United States and Canada. Now visitors from around the globe travel this way to see the secret revealed.

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Mónica Ortiz Uribe
A view from Cerro Pelon in the state of Mexico. This remote and rugged mountain was the place where outsiders first discovered the winter home of the monarch butterfly.

The end of the road leads to a dirt parking lot encircled by food stands. This is El Rosario, a rural village that clutches the mountainside. A brick archway leading to the summit announces why this place is special: "Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Monarch Butterfly. The largest in the world."

It wasn't until 1975 that two nature lovers, an American and his Mexican wife, discovered that the forests atop these peaks were the winter hideout of the monarch butterfly. They migrate from the U.S./Canadian border, an astounding 3,000 miles.

One way up to the butterfly colony is on horseback. On a recent afternoon, a local guide coaxed a gelding named Coronel.

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Mónica Ortiz Uribe
A horse rests after an uphill journey from El Rosario, a popular spot among tourists visiting the monarch butterflies in Mexico.

Fir and pine trees line the trail to the top. If the sun is out, luck is on your side. Halfway up you begin to see what looks like autumn leaves falling from the sky. First one, then three, then four. Suddenly you come to a clearing.

Butterflies are everywhere. They swoop and glide beneath a brilliant blue sky like tiny orange kites. It's like stepping inside a snow globe filled with butterflies. The sight is breathtaking.

The warm sun invites the monarchs out of the giant fir trees where they cluster overnight in massive bunches. They flutter to the ground and find little ribbons of water to drink. They perch on wildflowers and uncurl their thin black tongues in search of nectar. If you listen closely you can hear the gentle rustle of their wings.

Walking
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
Walking through the monarch colonies in central Mexico is like stepping into a snow globe filled with butterflies.

A group of young students who study computer engineering at a nearby university sit on the grass and watch in awe. 

"It's the first time I'm visiting this place," said Bonnie Guzman. "It's beautiful, the place. We are very, very happy."

Guzman said the students wanted to see the butterflies because they heard they’re disappearing. 

In 1997 monarchs covered 45 acres of Mexican forest. Last year, figures from the Mexican government show they covered less than three acres. Pesticide use in the U.S. and Canada and illegal logging in Mexico are among the principal threats.

"It's sad," Guzman said. "We humans should take better care of the environment. Respect places like this. Not create so much trash."

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Mónica Ortiz Uribe
Millions of monarch butterfly migrate 3,000 miles from the U.S./Canadian border to spend the winter in the forests of central Mexico.

Back down at El Rosario’s visitor's center, a boy heckles tourists with a basket of souvenirs.

While tourism is an important source of income in this farming village, it also presents another hazard to the monarchs' fragile habitat. Finding the right balance is a constant challenge for locals and the Mexican government. 

As tourists leave the sanctuary, groups of girls follow singing a song about the butterfly, hoping they'll earn a few pesos in return.