Winter Sightings! >>
Today's Report Includes:
- News from Mexico: Two Signs of Spring! >>
- Conservation: How Students are Helping >>
- Two Conservation Stories from Mexico >>
- Challenge Question #4 >>
- Get Ready for the Migration! Pre-migration Map >>
- Links: Monarch Butterfly Resources to Explore >>
This week: What does this boy's love of monarchs have to do with kids in Canada and the United States? >>
Two important signs of spring were noted during the past week at the overwintering sites in Mexico. Teachers on tour with "Monarchs Across Georgia" report:
The monarchs are moving down the mountain at the Sierra Chincua sanctuary. The dry season is in its fourth month now, and temperatures are climbing. The butterfly colonies begin to break up and move down the canyons in search of moisture.
A second important change was noted. The group saw several mating pairs where none had been seen the week before. "Please plant milkweed for these monarchs' offspring!" wrote teacher Chris Robie of Roswell, Georgia.
- Enjoy this week's trip report from Susan Meyers of Monarchs Across Georgia. >>
Monarchs are moving down the mountains, and mating is increasing now.
As part of last fall's Symbolic Migration, 1,439 classrooms sent over $11,000 for monarch conservation in Mexico through the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation (MBSF). Today's two conservation stories from Mexico are about work that the children's donations are supporting. The goal of both projects is to take pressure off the forest by helping local people find new ways to live and work.
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| Living With the Monarchs in Mexico >> | Becoming a Tour Guide >> |
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"You don't need to cut trees from the forest to meet basic needs. A family can grow enough to live well on just 2.5 acres," says the Mexican non-profit group, Alternare. Adobe bricks and wood-saving stoves are among their answers. |
Guides at the monarch sanctuaries did not have easy access to information about monarch butterflies. Now, a book and training workshops by MBSF are preparing local people to be better tour guides and feel more confident doing their jobs. |
These are entrance tickets for the monarch sanctuaries. The local people depend on this income from tourists. How much does it cost to visit?
This Week's Question:
- How many pesos does it cost for a child and an adult to visit a monarch sanctuary? Look up the exchange rate and give your answer in your own country's currency. (Which costs more, a movie or a trip to see the butterflies?)
To Respond: Write in your journal and send us your answer for possible inclusion in next week's update.
Click to see tickets >>
Answer to last week's question
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This map shows where monarchs were seen in January and February
this year.
As
we wait for the migration to begin in March, notice where monarchs
were spotted this winter. How will we know when the monarchs from
Mexico arrive in Texas? |
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| Pre-migration Map | Map Questions (Handout) |
- Ecotourism: A Walk Through the Forest With Javier (English/Spanish)
- Ecotourism: How Many Pesos to Visit a Monarch Sanctuary?
- Ecotourism Safari: How Many Examples of Ecotourism Can You Find?
- Journal: Monarch Winter Habitat Journal
- Overview: About Journey North's Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Study
- Mapping: Get Ready to Track Spring Migration
The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 6, 2008.
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