Monarch Butterfly Migration: Visiting the Overwintering Sites in Central Mexico

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society welcomes Valerie Chaney, Park Naturalist/Park Activities Coordinator at Cacapon Resort State
Park!
Monarch butterflies are well known for their beauty and impressive life cycle that inspires those who can capture these miraculous life stages. The remarkable 3,000-mile journey from northeastern U.S. and Canada to their ancestral wintering grounds of central Mexico make this migration one of the world’s most astounding natural events. However, the monarch butterflies are declining in numbers, and we are in jeopardy of losing this phenomenon of a multigenerational migration. Habitat loss is a major factor here in the U.S. and in their central Mexico overwintering sight. Come learn about monarchs and how you can help!
This February 2024 Valerie visited the Monarch Butterly Biosphere Reserve in Central Mexico. She traveled with a small group of monarch educators and enthusiasts with Monarch Joint Venture. Natural Habitat Adventures provided the expedition leaders and expert naturalist guides, taking the group to Angangueo into El Rosario Sanctuary and Chincua Sanctuary. Traveling into these sanctuaries by horseback, they were able to witness tens of millions of monarch butterflies covering the oyamel fir trees!
Efforts to preserve this fragile forest ecosystem are the key to the monarchs’ survival. Natural Habitat Adventures partners with the World Wildlife Fund who assists local communities to protect the butterflies’ habitat. These trips help demonstrate that ecotourism can be a more viable and sustainable source of economic sustenance than logging.
Valerie recommends watching this video about the endangered migration by Natural Habitat Adventures and she is looking forward to sharing more information, pictures, and videos during this presentation!