The First Monarchs Have Reached the Mexican Sanctuaries! September 10, 2001 Students of Escuela Cerro Prieto In the hills beyond sits the El Rosario monarch sanctuary. As predicted, early migration sightings across the central U.S. this August seem to have led to a very early arrival at the overwintering sites in Mexico. The first monarchs were reported on Monday, September 10th by students at five different schools in Michoacan, Mexico: Escuela Justo Sierra, Escuela Vicente Guerrero, Escuela 18 de mayo, Escuela Benito Juarez and Escuela Cerro Prieto. Although only scattered sightings have been reported to date, students in 15 different schools surrounding the sanctuaries have all spotted some monarchs. They will continue to monitor the arrival and send weekly updates as millions of monarchs descend from the skies and gather in their mountain forests. Señora Estella Romero, who coordinates communication from the mountain town of Angangueo reports, "As to my personal observations, I have seen no butterflies around the town of Angangueo yet. The sun has been shining during the past week, after having had the most rainy season we can remember. We're all watching carefully and will let you know when great numbers arrive!" From Esceula La Salud, "We send our best greetings to our Journey North friends." Monarchs from across eastern North America funnel to Mexico's Transvolcanic Belt--and cluster on only 12 mountaintops on the planet. (The location of the overwintering sites are indicated by red triangles on the maps below.) Life in the Sanctuary Region Children and Families Share Their Stories Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form