The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation
Photos by Dr. Stephen L. Buchmann |
The total land area in this reserve is 16110 hectares (about 60 square miles), with only 4490 hectares (less that 17 square miles) in the nuclear zone. Most of this land is in "ejido" ownership. (Ejidos are groups of peasant farmers whose hold land in communal ownership.) Significantly, these peasant landowners have not been adequately compensated for the logging limitations imposed by the decree.
This has resulted in continued resource demands on the forests that are incompatible with the survival of overwintering monarch butterflies. Logging activities are presently occurring in and around the sanctuaries--on a legal and illegal basis--posing a threat to the monarch's winter habitat.
A New Conservation Initiative
The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation (MBSF) was established in August, 1997 by scientists and educators concerned
about this rapid loss of habitat. Monarch biologist Dr. Lincoln Brower, who has conducted research in the Mexican
sanctuaries for over two decades, will serve as Chairman of the MBSF Board.
Says Brower, "Over the past 20 years, millions of dollars have been directed toward monarch conservation in Mexico, but have failed to address long-term conservation of the dwindling oyamel forest ecosystem. At the same time, the economic needs of the people who depend on the forest for survival have never been adequately addressed. A solution is needed that will allow the people and the butterflies to coexist with the forest in a long-term sustainable manner."
Dr. Karen Oberhauser, President
The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation
2078 Skillman Avenue
Roseville, Minnesota 55113 USA
Checks should be made payable to:
The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation
Scientific Documentation of Monarch Use of Sanctuary Habitat
MBSF is working with World Wildlife Fund-Mexico (WWF) to develop GIS (Geographic Information System ) mapping of
the locations of butterfly colonies in the reserves and the past and current conditions of the forest. This GIS
will enable scientists to present a coherent, compelling, data-based document to the Mexican government for their
use in a real long-term policy revision of the decree that includes the extension of the protected monarch reserves
and incorporates the currently unprotected ones.
This will promote the establishment of an effective conservation scheme to protect the overwintering sanctuaries
of the monarch butterfly and the oyamel forest ecosystem. This will be done by providing decision-makers with updated
information on the ecological parameters that define habitat requirements of the monarch butterfly in the overwintering
sites and the consequences of the different preservation schemes contemplated.
Translation of Scientific Papers
Throughout the years, extensive research has been done on the monarch butterfly's biology and migration by American,
Canadian and Mexican scientists. However the sharing of information has been stymied due to the language barrier.
Consequently the MBSF has set as one of its goals to facilitate the exchange between scientists translating the
numerous papers that have been writtenon the subject. Our end goal is to have a newsletter or journal where articles
will be published in both languages. In working towards this goal we have begun to translate what we consider are
some of the most important papers that have been written in the past. To date, we have finished 6.
Evaluation of Effect of Recent Forest Fires
Concerned about the fires that devastated Mexico this year, MBSF personnel visited the monarch butterfly sanctuaries
to observe first-hand how they had been affected. Unfortunately many of this fires are generated by the local farmers
who practice "slash and burn" agricultural techniques. Additionally once a forest is burned in Mexico,
no matter where it is or what its protected status is, the law allows logging of the burned wood (so-called "salvage-logging").
Inevitable land use change ensues. However this year the Mexican environmental authorities have issued a contingency
plan. Aware of their lack of resources to implement post-fire strategies in all the forests tha burned throughout
Mexico, they will assess all the areas to establish high-priority areas that need to be protected immediately.
The MBSF in its joint effort with WWF is working with the government to establish the sanctuaries as high-priority
areas and is promoting natural regeneration in the area. The main priority now is to prohibit all access to the
area to avoid land use changes.