Patrick A. Guerra, a neuroscientist and urban ecologist, explains how the contributions of community scientists in participatory science projects, such as Journey North, can help us answer the ultimate question in monarch butterfly migratory biology: How do monarchs find their overwintering sites?

 

Along the Monarch Migration Highway

In November, Journey North observers noted the ongoing southward migration of monarchs along the central and eastern flyways. While some stragglers, reaching as far north as Michigan, still have a considerable distance to cover, monarchs in Tennessee have a shorter journey before reaching Mexico. However, concerns arise as cold temperatures are anticipated across the Eastern U.S. this weekend.

 

Dear friends,

In the early 1800s, the renowned naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt embarked on an extensive exploration of Mexico. His meticulous observations documented the remarkable plant diversity in various regions and latitudes, including the states of Mexico and eastern Michoacán, where migratory monarch butterflies have overwintered for centuries.

 

Changing Season

Cooler air and a series of winter low-pressure systems are approaching the California coast signaling a change in the seasonal weather. Monarchs are settling into groves along the coast as volunteers begin the annual Thanksgiving Counts to compare the number of this year’s successful migrators to earlier years. So far, the early numbers of the monarch overwintering population appear lower than in recent years.

 

Dear friends,

After cloudy and rainy weeks, the sky turned deep blue, bringing us intense sunshine and cool nights. The moisture that our forests stored during our short and insufficient rainy season will soon evaporate but hopefully not too soon.

With only hours of delay, our Monarchs heroically arrive this November 4-5 to their final destination in the coniferous forests of the "Sierra Chincua" and "El Rosario" in central Mexico!

 

Queridos amigos:

Después de semanas nubladas y con lluvia, el cielo se torna profundamente azul, lo que nos traerá intenso sol y noches frías, con lo que la humedad que nuestros bosques almacenaron durante nuestra corta y poco suficiente época de lluvias, evaporará de prisa.

¡Con tan sólo horas de retraso, nuestras Monarcas llegan heroicas este noviembre 4-5 a su destino final en los bosques de coníferas de la “Sierra Chincua” y de “El Rosario” en el centro de México!

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