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Mariano Jiménez Elementary, Grades 4, 5, and 6 For the first time, the Journey North program visits this Elementary school located at the very core where the most logging –both legal and ilegal--, happens in this town. The school was very warmly welcome. We had the attention of all the children when we disucssed migration facts and life-cycle. This was a very general introduction for them. Children were all the time 'mouth and eyes wide open' to every aspect about the Monarchs’ life cycle, and challenges. They asked many questions, and expressed their concern about nature’s care.
Indeed children are too young to realize for example, the way avocado farms may damage our local habitats bringing additional consequences in itself. Journey North messages help to encourage, educate, and improve habitat conservation sense on our region’s plant and animal species. These practices offer hope for the future of the marvel of Monarch butterflies’ ancestral overwintering in our unique Oyamel forests. In the classroom most children are amazed by the maps brought by their symbolic monarchs how in their hands, how far each symbolic butterfly has flown to reach them in Central México! They received “Malala” book, and “Ana Frank” book as a gift. Students were so, so excited to have received a signal of friendship from those students living in the North. They welcomed the responsibility for passing along the caring for Monarchs’ hábitat. They worked hard to create beautiful pictures showing things about their lives and committment to the monarch habitat. The visit ended with many promises and hopes into the future for their own lives! They bid us farewell after an awesome time together with Journey North! Background for the area of this school: In place of some of the old logging practices, and because of warming climate, avocado farms are increasing substantially in the whole región. In the background of the photo of the school, you can see a big avocado farm. This type of crop demands high consumption of water. This practice is not optimal for the hábitat in our local ecosystem because of the extensive land áreas required to plant avocado trees, which once planted, demand high amount of wáter. As a result of all the avocado farms, Michoacán State, our state, is considered to be the first producer and exporter in avocado all over our country. Twenty years ago avocado farming was a practice belonging to warmer areas at lower elevations, like Zitácuaro and Jungapeo towns and surroundings. Avocado trees could be considered a foreign plant to the local ecosystem of the Monarch Sanctuaries’ región. Butterflies Received Reed and Mock Elementary, San Juan, TX
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