We in this area are noticing signs of spring: earlier sunrises, birds singing, and, of course, warmer temperatures. It will be several weeks before we'll begin to see monarchs arriving. If you are curious about what they do in their absence, consider subscribing to Journey North, a website dedicated to tracking and understanding the many animal species that migrate, including monarch butterflies. When you go to their website, hosted by the Annenberg Learning Foundation, you can select the animals of interest to you, such as the monarch. You can also register with Journey North to be able to post your sightings of migrating animals and to have emails highlighting various migrating animals sent to you. Recently the emails they've sent have detailed the monarchs' amazing overwintering activities in Mexico and the challenges they face from loss of habitat there.
Generally, the monarchs living south of the Florida Panhandle overwinter in south Florida and the Caribbean. However, the majority of the mid-western US and Canadian monarchs travel enormous distances to their winter destination in the Michoacan region of Mexico. Most of the area they reside in has been an official Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve since 2008. Despite the area being protected by law, pervasive illegal logging of the pine and fir trees that shelter monarchs between December and February continues to reduce their habitat. The fact that the monarchs can survive the frigid temperatures of some of the highest mountains in Mexico is due to the unique microclimate those forests create. In the driest and coldest of Mexico's seasons, the trees shelter the butterflies from the worst of the cold, and the morning winds bring clouds of moisture to keep the monarchs hydrated. In addition to the protections afforded by the climate, the monarch has it's own remarkable survival adaptations to potentially fatal cold. If you are interested in learning more about these amazing facts, please take a few minutes to read the Migration News links above.
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