Teacher Dave Kust and Family
Report from Overwintering Sites

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

The Kusts, with kids in uniform at Escuela Issac Arriga, the neighborhood school they attended

Katie Kust, then 7

Dave documenting aftermath of January 2002 storm

Dave with friends at El Rosario sanctuary

Thought I'd offer a quick update from the Romero internet store. We are staying in our old bedroom across the street! The rest of the place is being used as a new medical clinic so if anyone gets sick, we're in good shape...

We have been very busy...hoping to visit many people and places we so fondly remember. Took care of some tag stuff for Chip (Dr. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch) first. There are so many tags from last year still in the hands of so many people. I only had enough pesos to buy 300 or so. Hundreds more remaining. Not finding many from this year at all.
Finally got up to Chincua today, or I should say DOWN to Chincua. There are still some monarchs hanging around at about 9,500 feet, according to LPB’s (Dr. Lincoln Brower's) altimeter. The kids and I counted about 35 to 40 trees still with roosts, the largest with upwards of 20 clusters intact. Occasionally there would be some cascading or "explosions" as some of these would shift and reform their roosts on nearby trees and/or trunks.

Only a few trees had "trunk roosting." (I know Bill Calvert has a better name for it and believes this keeps them from drying out from the wind. I always read his postings with interest on the Journey North updates!) It was quite breezy today in open areas and still very dry, with a great deal of dust blowing around. Joseph and I hiked way down to the very bottom of the rio and found monarchs hydrating-or dead or dying. Quite a few dead across all of the area we traversed, maybe a couple hundred yards, up and down the hillsides and trails.

Today we headed up towards Rosario on road up from Angangueo. The parking lot at the Rancheria de La Salud (where the monarchs have evidently been most of March, according to our guide,) is located at about 9500 feet altitude according to LPB’s (Dr. Lincoln Brower's) altimeter. Lots of butterfly activity today, sunny, 58 in the shade, good breezes, lots of streaming down from what remains of this colony. Many puddling in the seeps and rios. First clusters located at 9680 feet altitude. Only about 10 trees with clusters here. A bit higher up at 10000gps and 9700 feet altitude. Tweny or so small trees here with clusters...spread out. Six to 8 large trees with many clusters. Observed a steady flow of monarchs all the way down the mountain in the back of the cabineta (2 pm). Lots on the hojancha (yellow) and palomia (white) bushes. On to Pelon tomorrow. I will try to get some more data for you.

Hasta entonces,
Dave

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2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #8
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IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-monarch@learner.org
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The Next Monarch Butterfly Migration Update Will Be Posted on February 28, 2003

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