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The Migration To Mexico Of The Monarch Butterfly - A "Royal" Treat For Tourists And NaturalistsBy Habeeb Salloum
According to local legend, the arrival of the butterflies from the north symbolizes the return of children's lost souls. It has been only recently that scientists discovered where the butterflies went when they left southern Canada and the northern United States for locations south. Before they once again arrive at the birthplace of their ancestors, the monarchs' annual migration covers thousands of miles and four separate generations of Monarch Butterflies.
"Each year, we can count on the grace and splendour of the butterfly migration, which is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world," asserted Ana Compean Reyes Spindola, Secretary of Tourism for the state of Michoacan. "The arrival of the Monarch Butterflies adds to the myriad of outdoor activities for travellers in the area." To help protect the Monarch whose numbers were beginning to dwindle, Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries have been established as part of the international network of model forests for the protection and conservation of the butterfly's habitat in Mexico. These cover more than 790,000 h (1,951,300 ac) and 22 different municipalities; 12 in the State of Michoacan, and 10 in the State of Mexico.
Santuario de Mariposas El Rosario (El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary), also called El Campanario, the largest of Michoacan's two public butterfly reserves, is located between the towns of Zitacuaro and Angangueo at an altitude of nearly 3,050 m (10,000 ft). While observing the butterflies, visitors can snack on tasty Mexican treats sold by vendors outside the sanctuary.
Although the Monarch Butterfly is not an endangered species, the Michoacan Reforestation Fund (MRF), funded by tax-deductible contributions, was formed in order to raise money to replant trees in the forest and preserve the Monarch's habitat.
These reforestation efforts are ensuring that the Oyamel forest’s grand spectrum of nature will continue to enthral wildlife lovers. Standing in the midst of thousands of magnificently colored Monarch Butterflies covering the forest floor, enveloping the trees, and filling the air around the visitors with their hovering presence is one of the world's most extraordinary wildlife experiences. |
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With the coming of the North American winter, millions of
US and Canadian Monarch Butterflies descend on the Central Mexican forests at
their wintering colony in the state of Michoacan in Mexico. The most awesome of
all of North America's natural events, the spectacular Monarch butterfly
migration is an amazing sight. The thrill of hiking through a forest ablaze with
thousands of fluttering butterflies brings visitors back to these forests year
after year. 
From November through March, some 300 million Canadian and
American Monarch Butterflies flock to Michoacan's Oyamel forests, colouring
trees with a coat of orange and black and filling the air with the sound of
their delicate flapping wings. Like confetti, these butterflies fill the sky
with one of the most dazzling displays of mass movement in the animal world. In
unbelievable numbers, they flutter through the air like the sound of gentle
spring rain caressing the landscape.
Some distance away from Mexico's crowded tourist resort
towns, the pristine central highlands and unspoiled southern coast offer
butterfly watchers a rare alternative to the typical beach or historical tour
vacation. Every year, these wondrous creatures spread their brilliant orange and
black wings and set on a remarkable journey of, at times, some 2,000 km (1,242
mi) from Canada and the northern United States to their ancestral winter grounds
in Michoacan and, to a lesser extent, the State of Mexico.
The protective pine trees and shrubs of the Oyamel forests,
with their cool air and abundance of water, attract these migrant butterflies.
They are usually so numerous that in some areas, the Monarchs number up to four
million per acre of forest.
Mexico, with technical assistance from Canada and the U.S.A,
has developed a strategic plan to address the three basic areas: ecotourism,
community development, and natural resource management. This cooperation is a
clear example of how Mexico, Canada and the United States are tied to one
another through the marvel of nature and serves as the basis for the protection
of wild life all across North and Central America.
Just a short distance from Angangueo, 110 km east of
Morelia, is the Sierra Chincua Butterfly Sanctuary, opened in 1997. Visitors to
this pristine reserve can take horseback tours of the rough trails. The best
time to visit is in February, when the neighboring villages of Ocampo, Zitacuaro
and Maravatio celebrate the Monarch Butterfly with traditional dances, music and
artisan markets during the Festival de la Mariposa Monarca.
"Since its inception in 1997, the Michoacan Reforestation
Fund and the La Cruz Habitat Protection Project have had one basic goal -
protecting the Monarch Butterflies and their habitat," said Bob Small, Director
of the MRF. "We have planted more than 500,000 trees in the area since 1997."