Feature Story
Royal Voyagers of the Sky
A
warm breeze rustles the branches of oyamel fir trees as dappled sunlight makes its way through the canopy to the forest floor. The rising temperatures send a signal to the forest's winter residents that spring is on the horizon, along with a great new adventure. A gentle rustle begins to sound throughout the fir trees. Slowly, thousands of butterflies fill the forest like an orange and black cloud. The kaleidoscope swirls in all directions, between the branches, above the trees, and through the understory. A suitable bearing is discovered, and the flutter begins dancing away towards their great adventure north to give rise to more generations.
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CONSERVATION FEDERATION
Mexico is home to an Oyamel fir forest on mountain tops that serve as overwintering sites for monarch butterflies' eastern population. The forest provides the perfect microclimate cold enough for the monarchs to reserve energy but not too cold that they perish. Monarchs cover the tree trunks, branches, and even needles in clusters to preserve heat and energy until spring arrives. These forests serve as crucial overwintering habitat for monarch butterflies. In 1980, Mexico established the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to preserve these essential overwintering sites. This 56,000-hectare reserve aims to protect overwintering sites and support sustainable monarch populations.
