Karen Leichtweis

Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: March 27, 1997

• Press Release for School District Use

Symbolic Migration Set to Begin Next Week!
Next Tuesday, April 1st, Paplote del Niņo will hold a send-off party for the 40,000 monarchs, and bid them farewell. According Education Director Martha Sanchez, they are busily finishing up the final box of butterflies so all will be ready to go next week. At last count there were 2,000 more monarchs to make.

Karen Leichtweis

We extend our thanks to Paplote del Niņo for the wonderful hospitality they have shown over the past months. This migration was much larger than anyone, anywhere had imagined, but they met the challenge. Forty thousand Mexican students have made paper butterflies since November, thanks to the dedication of Martha and her staff. Muchas gracias amigos!

Once again, UPS has offered to fly the butterflies across the continent. Thanks UPS! This migration would not have been possible without their "global delivery service"! The butterflies will be shipped north from the Mexico City International Airport on Tuesday, April 1. They will arrive Friday, April 4th at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where volunteers are waiting.

When Will Your Butterflies Arrive?
As explained in our March 11th update, when the butterflies reach their staging grounds in Minnesota, we'll immediately begin the process of re-packing each and every butterfly. We will return them state by state, province by province, beginning in the South and working our way northward, just as the real monarchs are. We know you must be eager to see what the Mexican students have made for you!

Watch for regular updates here. We hope to include a map so you can follow the progress of the symbolic migration as it moves northward. Please keep in mind that this is a big job, and delivery will take several weeks.

While you wait, keep your eyes peeled so you can report the FIRST monarch butterfly you see this spring, and help us track their journey.

How to Report:
When you see your first monarch this spring, send a Field Report to Journey North. On the left-hand side of this page you'll see an owl button. Simply press the button and a FIELD DATA FORM will appear. If you have any trouble using this system, send a message to our feedback form We'd be happy to help you!

The Next Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration Update Will be Posted on April 8, 1997.