Dear Journey North Colleagues:

No butterfly seems to approach the area. Now the weather changes. We have had, since Saturday, sunny days and blue sky. Cool in the evenings. Very sunny days and icing evenings to come.

Something important to comment: during the last months or weeks, I´ve talked to some people coming to our store (my parents are running a grocery store in the downtown area, and I help them). To two or three of these people coming from the Monarch Settlement Area, I´ve asked them about the way they await the Monarch Butterfly season.

Last year, they resented a lot that only half of the tourists coming the previous years came. Last year, it was for all benefactors from this season a very bad year. I could notice that they are worried now and notice the the forest devastation and the Monarch phenomenon are in real danger.

For years, many people not only in Angangueo, but other towns and small villages made directly a living from this, and many others, I would say all, got indirectly, all the time some benefit. Now they are worried lest the Monarchs will come less and less, or decide to look for other areas in our country to settle.

Sad to see that we are reacting a little bit too late to the problem.

Until next week,

Maria Estela.

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