Even though the Monarch season officially ended, you aren’t done with me yet: always more to share on the Monarch front! Now that November is upon us, the Monarchs should be arriving in Mexico. I was lucky enough to visit the Monarch overwintering site in 2005, with my father, and wanted to share some photos from my trip with you all!
There are ~12 main Monarch roosts in an area of the Transvolcanic Mountains in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. You ride up to the site via a small town called Angangueo in 4WD trucks. Guards (and signs) are posted to protect the sanctuary. This sign names the sanctuary and says (largely) Protect it.
El Rosario is one of the main roosting sites and also one of the more popular and touristy sites to visit. It is a sanctuary, protected by the Mexican government. Alas, this “protection” status is not very well enforced. When I visited, there were armed guards outside of the reserve; however, we still saw logging trucks leaving the reserve, piled high with lumber.
Monarchs roost in the oyamel fir trees at high elevations. It is a very impoverished area and local Mexicans depend on these trees for shelter, heat during the winter, and a source of income. Although the roosting trees themselves are not necessarily being cut down, by logging the outer ring of trees surrounding the roosting trees, more cold, snow, and wind can hit the roosting trees and harm the Monarchs.
There are MILLIONS of Monarchs. It was absolutely incredible to witness so many Monarchs in one area.
The branches are weighed down by the significant number of Monarchs—and given that each Monarch only weighs half a gram, this is unbelievable!
Monarchs will fly up in the air when sun hits the trees and the Monarchs warm up.
You can watch as layer after layer of Monarchs peel off from the branches and fly into the air.
Sometimes Monarchs will come down from the roost to drink water.
Look! I found a tagged Monarch on the ground! After tagging Monarchs in Maine as a youngster, it was so cool to see in person that the tagged Monarchs actually make it to Mexico! This Monarch was tag EHZ429, tagged 9/11/2004 in Iowa, traveling a total of 1741 miles! I gave it to our guide so that he could get the money for the tagged Monarch: Monarch Watch pays for each recovered Monarch; hopefully it is a little incentive to not log and to keep the Monarchs still hanging around.
It is a very impoverished area and tourism, through food and souvenir stands near the edge of the sanctuary, provide some income to the area.
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