Valentín Gómez Farías Elementary, Grades 5-6
This school is located in “Senguio” Town, Municipality, Ejido and Sanctuary. These mountains are main forest áreas for Monarchs population. Once the butterflies arrive in the fall which, to the Sierra Chincua Mountains, they divide themselves into two main colonies, the Sierra Chincua Colony, and the Senguio Colony, where mostly both colonies concentrate previous to start their journey back North.  “Senguio” Sanctuary has officially been declared the third most important Sanctuary on this Northern mountainside. Cerro Pelón Sanctuary located at the South-side mountains, ranks in similar importance.

For the very first time, children living here receive the Journey North Ambassador Monarchs and messages of conservation.

We arrive on Wednesday, first day of classes this week.  It is an obligation at every school in our country to render honors to our Mexican Flag, referring to historical/memorable  facts celebrated in the  month. Children even do some poetry, singing and typical dancing to our Flag.

On arriving to the classroom, children stand up to welcome Journey North, knowing something very new to them and very important has arrived to school. Estela explains the the incredible way a Monarch hatches from egg to butterfly.  For some years now they are generations born enjoying the Monarchs in their forests, however, “we had no idea how a Monarch is born,”  “we were not even really clear that they only overwinter and mate here in our forests but do not reproduce," “Who would have imagined that the great-great-grand siblings are the ones coming every season to save their species from the intense winters in North-America?”

When I asked to them about a few of our endagered local animal species like owls, “tlacuaches”, “corre-caminos”, “armadillos”, they raised their hands to my surprise assuring they often see them, which means their forests here in senguio might be a little healthier than that of El Rosario Sanctuary forests, for example, which rather scarce canopy in some áreas may not have a healthy population of some animal species already endangered.
They write in their letters about mushroom species in our forests, they are indeed the proudest of all other schools in the region: “have you been to our Mushroom show in the Summer here in town, teacher Estela?.  We have over 300 hundred varieties of mushrooms growing in our forest!!!”. –They proudly said to me--.   Yes, I was last Summer their gorgeous Mushroom show in town. I congratulated them and remarked to them how important all animal species, and specially wild blossoming and mushrooms are healthy to Monarchs forests and their conservation.

Students have their torta prepared by moms at home. This is rarely seen nowadays; Consuming junk food at schools continues to be a great problem for childhood nutrition.
The school is aware of the importance of conservation. Some signs outside classrooms in school about nature’s conservation being urgent, are remarkable.

Donations: “La Sociedad Novohispana”, book, 6th grade.   “Technology," “Human Body," “Animals” books, 5th. grade.

Leaving the town;  Angangueo and the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary mountains can bee seen far in the back of the landscape.  Dark clouds are menacing as typical winter time bringing some snow anymoment now.

Mushrooms
Families in this town have developed an  important agricultural activity.  Tourists visit the Sanctuary, and their famous mushroom festival in the summer. The town has beautifully restored architecture and has brings additional economic income to local families in town. Senguio town is famous in our region for their gorgeous wild mushroom show organized in the summer.   Over a whole weekend, the families in town attract visitors coming from around the region and even further around. During the show, one can enjoy trying varied mushroom dishes out of local and ancestral recepies prepared with around 300 different species of wild mushrooms grown in their forests! Something for nature experts and fans to come and experience!

Butterflies Received
This school received Ambassador Butterflies from the following U.S. and Canadian Schools:

Finley-Oates Elementary,Bonham,TX
Plymouth School,Midland,MI
Okte Elementary,Clifton Park,NY
Okte Elementary,Clifton Park,NY
Okte Elementary,Clifton Park,NY
Okte Elementary,Clifton Park,NY
Florida Virtual School,Clermont,FL
Florida Virtual School,Clermont,FL
Florida Virtual School,Largo,FL
Florida Virtual School,Largo,FL
Florida Virtual School,DeBary,FL
Dean S Luce Elementary,Canton,MA
Dean S Luce Elementary,Canton,MA
Schumann Elementary,Long Lake,MN
Hoover Elementary,Dubuque,IA
Saint Patrick's School,Bryan,OH
Saint Patrick's School,Bryan,OH
A W Cox School,Guilford,CT
Moriarty Environmental Magnet School,Norwich,CT
Morgen Owings Elementary,Norwich,CT
Moriarty Environmental Magnet School,Norwich,CT
East Farms School,Farmington,CT
Moriarty Environmental Magnet School,Norwich,CT
Venice Heights Elementary,Sandusky,OH
Venice Heights Elementary,Sandusky,OH
Liberty Elementary,Franklin,TN
Herbert Hoover Elementary,Buffalo,NY
Westerly High School,Westerly,RI
Westerly High School,Westerly,RI
Westerly High School,Westerly,RI
Matoska International,White Bear Lake,MN
Matoska International,White Bear Lake,MN
Matoska International,White Bear Lake,MN
Matoska International,White Bear Lake,MN
Saint Brendan's Catholic School,Stephenville,TX
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Wells Township School,Arnold,MI
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Saint Thomas More Catholic School,Saint Paul,MN
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Simpsonville Elementary,Simpsonville,KY
Simpsonville Elementary,Simpsonville,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Simpsonville Elementary,Simpsonville,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Simpsonville Elementary,Simpsonville,KY
Heritage Elementary,Waddy,KY
Saint Andrew's School,Austin,TX
Valley View School,Califon,NJ
Glandale Elementary,Nashville,TN
Templeton Elementary,Bloomington,IN
Templeton Elementary,Bloomington,IN
Evergreen Community Charter School,Asheville,NC
Luther L Wright School,Ironwood,MI
Cleveland Road Elementary,Bogart,GA
Chappell Elementary,Green Bay,WI
Chappell Elementary,Green Bay,WI
Chappell Elementary,Green Bay,WI
Saint Andrew's School,Austin,TX
Cleveland Road Elementary,Bogart,GA
Cleveland Road Elementary,Bogart,GA
Evergreen Community Charter School,Asheville,NC
Highland Elementary,Monterey,VA
Bugg Elementary,Raleigh,NC
Waverly Yowell Elementary,Madison,VA
Waverly Yowell Elementary,Madison,VA
City Galesburg Parks and Recreation,Galesburg,IL
Fort Osage High School,Independence,MO
Saint Richard Catholic School,Scarborough,ON
Saint Richard Catholic School,Scarborough,ON
Havelock Belmart Public School,Havelock,ON
Kingsway College School,Etobicoke,ON
Woodland Public School,Thornhill,ON
Eisenhower School,Dubuque,IA
Early Blooms Montessori,Markham,ON
Florida Virtual School,Largo,FL
Waldron Elementary,Waldron,AR
Bonnie Grimes Elementary,Rogers,AR
Bonnie Grimes Elementary,Rogers,AR
Waldron Elementary,Waldron,AR
Sheridan Elementary,Allentown,PA
Davidson Academy,Nashville,TN
Davidson Academy,Nashville,TN
The Tatnall School,Wilmington,DE
The Tatnall School,Wilmington,DE