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Journey North News will be posted on Tuesdays Feb. 9, 16, 23, Mar. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Apr. 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25...and weekly until the migration is completed! Spring, 1999 (Click on map to enlarge.) FINAL Monarch Migration Update Spring, 1999 Symbolic Monarch Migration Background About This Study Challenge Questions Ask the Expert Related Resources Journey North News FINAL Monarch Migration Update: June 21, 1999 See you this fall! Beginning in August we'll track the monarchs' journey south to Mexico. Please come back then to report your observations. Monarch Migration Update: June 8, 1999 Monarch Migration Update: June 2, 1999 Monarch Migration Update: May 25, 1999 Monarch Migration Update: May 18, 1999 What a difference a week makes! Monarchs of the 1st spring generation are now appearing in full force--even in Canada, where the 1st sightings occurred last week. Life is sweet for monarchs; the sugar-content of their nectar is much greater than Classic Coke! Monarch Migration Update: May 11, 1999 The first monarch was reported yesterday at 44N--in Minnesota! And this monarch's fresh condition means it's the offspring of the migrants from Mexico. Your migration map shows you something you may not have realized--and gives clues as to when and where the next monachs will appear in greater numbers. Also, Dr. Karen Oberhauser shares insights about the differences betweeen male and female monarch behavior. Monarch Migration Update: May 4, 1999 Every year at this time, things become very quiet on the migration-tracking front, while we wait for the 1st spring generation to emerge and continue the northward trip. The monarchs won last year, but hummingbirds were first to cross the Canadian border this year, thanks to a May 1 sighting in Ontario. Monarch Migration Update: April 27, 1999 According to Journey North observers, some monarchs from Mexico are still alive--and have traveled 2,300 miles back north. But Connecticut students know these monarchs' days are numbered. Now that they've lived some 8 months, how will they pass their genes to the next generation? Do you think males and females have the same strategies? Monarch Migration Update: April 20, 1999 The migration came to a screeching halt last week, when a cold front swept across the U. S. Your migration map now shows a clear picture of how far north the monarchs from Mexico can travel. Exactly how many miles have they gone, anyway? And how long has this monarch generation been alive? Student Butterfly Gardens for Monarch Conservation Monarch Migration Update: April 13, 1999 Last week was a great week to migrate, and the monarchs surged northward! In how many new states did they arrive last week? What weather conditions have helped them move so quickly? Monarch Migration Update: April 6, 1999 The big news this week: The first Monarchs have now been as far east and north as Tennessee and South Carolina! How many miles from Mexico have these monarchs traveled? Tell your community that the monarchs are on their way. Students can write a column for the local newspaper. Monarch Migration Update: March 30, 1999 The migration moved into Arkansas and Mississippi during the past week. Meanwhile, people in Texas report a steady stream of monarchs coming through--with the females laying eggs on any milkweed they can find. As you wait for the monarchs to reach your home town, watch how their habitat changes BEFORE the butterflies arrive. Monarch Migration Update: March 23, 1999 After a quiet departure from Mexico, most of the monarchs now seem to have left the over-wintering area. Several sightings from northern Mexico and more from Texas have been reported. NOW do you think the migrating monarchs have reached Texas--or are observers still seeing local butterflies? Monarch Migration Update: March 16, 1999 The monarchs are on their way! In the town of Angangueo, Mexico, one can almost always see them during the sunny part of the day--many high in the sky, drifting lazily northward, setting out on their long journey. How do you interpret these early monarch sightings in Texas? Monarch Migration Update: March 9, 1999 The most spectacular monarch behavior in March is "cascading". Literally tens of thousand of butterflies suddenly push off their perches, en masse, and fall downwards. Meanwhile in the north, spring is rapidly advancing. How will the monarchs know when it's time to leave Mexico? Monarch Migration Update: March 2, 1999 The typical flurry of monarch activity before their departure has begun. With their lives drawing to an end, mating has increased as the monarchs attempt to pass their genes to the next generation. As in any typical year, millions of monarchs have been eaten by predators--up to 15% of the total population! Who ate these butterflies...? Monarch Migration Update: February 23, 1999 After last week's cold snap, warm temperatures have returned to the butterfly areas. Students at Pedro Ascencio school sent their first weather report this week. Exactly how warm was the warmest day, and how cold was the coldest night, at 10,000 ft elevation where the monarchs--and these students--live? Monarch Migration Update: February 16, 1999 A strong, cold air mass from the north has blown deep into Mexico, bringing unseasonably cool temperatures. Cold brings dew, and for monarchs, even dew drops can be dangerous. In total this year, the monarch population covers less than 6 hectares. Are there fewer butterflies than in previous years? Monarch Migration Update: February 9, 1999 Before their migration begins in March, weekly updates from the wintering region will arrive every Tuesday. How many monarchs are in Mexico? Imagine if it were your job to count all the butterflies wintering in the mountains there! As many as 15,000 butterflies can be resting on a single branch--how much do you suppose they weigh? Ask the Expert Meet The Monarch Expert Answers from the Monarch Expert Related Resources Purchase a Tracking Map or Make Your Own How to Track the Migration Monarch Butterfly Migration Checklist Counting All Butterflies: Estimating Populations WWW Links Monarch Lab Monarch Watch Student Butterfly Gardens for Monarch Conservation NPR/National Geographic Radio Expedition Field Studies on Monarch Flight and Navigation Monarch Migration Project, Cape May, NJ Blake School Monarch Program Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation Copyright 1999 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form