About 

The annual migration of millions of monarch butterflies across North America is among the world’s most spectacular natural events. Facing declines in monarchs' eastern and western populations, governments, non-profit organizations, community groups, and countless individuals throughout Mexico, the United States, and Canada are cooperating to protect the monarch butterfly.

Through the Symbolic Migration Project, youth can also participate in monarch conservation and protection. Youth decorate paper Symbolic Ambassador Monarch Butterflies that are mailed and distributed to schools near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Central Mexico. These symbolic butterflies build bridges of communication among participants in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. United by the monarch butterfly, youth celebrate and pledge to protect monarchs and their extraordinary migration.

Purchasing Your Ambassador Butterflies

Find out more information about this project by reading the 2024-2025 Leader Packet. The early bird registration deadline is September 30, 2024. The full price deadline is October 18, 2024. 

Learning Resources

Educators can access lessons and activities that engage youth in monarch biology and conservation.

Follow along by reading news updates and Ms. Estela Romero's blog posts. Ambassador butterflies will be delivered during the winter months until the end of February 2025. 

The Symbolic Monarch Migration is a project of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum) and Monarchs Across Georgia (a committee of the nonprofit organization, the Environmental Education Alliance). Journey North hosts educational materials on its website. Monarchs Across Georgia administers the project including coordinating the exchange of symbolic butterflies among 2000+ classrooms in three countries, engaging a contract worker to provide lessons and deliver materials in Mexico, and raising funds for the project’s continuation.

Consider a donation to the Symbolic Monarch Migration and/or the Mexico Book Project.  

​The Monarch Butterfly Fund supports, through their Small Grant Program, our “Beyond the Mexico Book Project” providing funding for books and environmental education efforts in the schools surrounding the Mexican monarch sanctuaries.