Symbolic Monarchs in Mexico
By Estela Romero

Gallery Overview
Overview | One | Two | Three | Four | Five

As I deliver your Ambassador Butterflies to the students who live near the monarch sanctuaries, I feel proud of my beautiful land and people. I'm honored to represent Journey North and leave a seed whose fruits will help assure the monarch's survival into the future for our children.

The children cannot believe that one of the animals on earth that makes the most complex migration phenomenon overwinters in our mountains— and in this very moment is only some thousand meters from them!

The students loved receiving the letters, gifts, and photos from their friends in the United States and Canada. "The letters fly and survive as long a distance and face as many challenges as Monarchs do," some said wisely.

The students are proud to realize that they can play an important role in preserving the wondrous migration by learning how to conserve the Oyamel forests in our region.

This season I visited 55 classrooms in 38 schools surrounding the El Rosario and Sierra Chincua sanctuaries. This is the only non-profit program delivering environmental education related to monarchs habitat preservation in this region in central México.

I tried to take lots of pictures during my visits. I hope you enjoy seeing the children who received your Ambassador Butterflies and learning about their lives.

Estela Romero coordinates Journey North's Symbolic Migration in Mexico. She and her family live in the small mountain town of Angangueo near the monarch's winter sanctuaries.