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Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: February 14, 2003

Today's Report Includes:

How Much Space Does a Monarch Colony Need?

As Dr. Calvert described last week, a monarch colony does not stay in the same place all season. Once it’s formed, the area occupied by a colony at any moment in time is very small. However, the colony moves during the season to different parts of the sanctuary so actually needs more space than one might think.

For example, in a typical winter in the Sierra Chincua sanctuary, the butterflies will cluster into an area only 1 to 1.5 hectares in size in mid-winter. (1 hectare= 2.47 acres.) But, according to former Sanctuary biologist Eligio Garcia, "If we consider all the land the colony occupies--from the time the butterflies arrive in November until their departure in March--it has been estimated that a colony will utilize 60 hectares (148 acres)."

This means that the colony uses some 60 times more land during the season that it does at any single time of the season! The colony moves because, as the season changes, so does the climate. In order to survive, the butterflies must move to habitat that suits their ecological needs. They need to stay dry, warm enough to avoid freezing, avoid wind, rain, hail and predators, and have enough sunshine, water, humidity, etc.

Try This! Can a Colony Fit on Your School Grounds?

On your school grounds, measure the space a monarch colony needs in mid-winter. Then measure the space the butterflies need as they move throughout the over-wintering season. How would the school and neighbors react if a butterfly colony needed this land? As you learn more about the monarchs at the wintering sites, watch for ways people in the region are affected by the monarchs. List the ways the butterflies help the people, and ways the butterflies interfere with people’s lives.
Searching for Monarchs in the Sierra Chincua
by Elizabeth Howard
A personal guide ("guia" in Spanish) accompanies all visitors to the sanctuary.

For a special treat, our guide offered to take us on a two hour hike deep into the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary. He knew where a second colony had formed near a place the local people call La Mojonera. There, we'd find trees draped with butterflies, more spectacular than at the first colony, which was nearby but busy with tourists. If we were willing to walk that far, he said, we'd be treated to a private audience with the butterflies. Who wouldn't go?

But, when we reached the site, the butterflies were gone! The place they had occupied for a month, and had been seen as recently as 3 days before, had suddenly been vacated. Although disappointed, this changed our day into a butterfly hunt; we experienced what the biologists did when first searching for the colonies. We knew the butterflies were here, but where? Clustering monarchs are surprisingly hard to see, they're so well camouflaged in the trees, and the Sierra Chincua is huge forest. We scanned the trees carefully as we walked. We also watched the ground for clues. But that day, the butterflies that had temporarily inhabited La Mojonera were not to be found.

Where Are the Butterflies? Challenge Questions #2 & #3
All of the photos below were taken in the monarch sanctuaries. You can see the structure of the oyamel forest, and have the fun of searching for clustering monarchs yourself. Can you find them?

Challenge Question #2:
"Which pictures contain trees with clusters of butterflies? In your answer, use the most descriptive details you can to convey how monarch butterfly colonies appear in the oyamel fir forest."


A

B

C

D

E

F

Challenge Question #3:
"Why do you think we watched the ground when looking for the colonies? What clues do you think we were looking for on the forest floor of the sanctuary?"

(To respond to these questions, please follow the instructions below.)

Spanish Lesson with Noemi de Jesus and her Dad

Spanish Lesson with Noemi de Jesus and her Dad
(Viewing Tips)

Read Along! Vocabulary words & Spanish/English worksheet

Also see: Greeting from Noemi and Dad (Video Clip)

Meet Noemi de Jesus, age 14, who lives beside the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary. She and her Dad are here to help you speak Spanish. Print out the vocabulary words and read along. In addition to learning Spanish pronunciation, we hope you'll feel the friendship they extend to everyone at Journey North. Be sure to watch the end of the clip. Can you understand what Señor de Jesus laughs and says?

First Look at the Internet
Noemi and her family came down from the moutains to Angangueo's Internet cafe for a first look at the Web. Over the years, we've written several stories about the family on Journey North, so it was fun to be with them.
Noemi and her Mom are surprised to see themselves, pictured in their own kitchen!

Noemi's Dad points out a spelling error in a translation.

Noemi and Elizabeth
December 2002
Butterflies and Bowling Balls
Discussion of Challenge Question #1
Last week we asked, "If the typical monarch weighs 500 mg in February, how much would a branch loaded with 15,000 butterflies weigh? (Give your answer in kilograms and in pounds. Also name an object that weighs the same amount, for comparison.)"

Ms. LaMonaca and her 3rd grade class in Williamstown, NJ, were amazed to find that 15,000 butterflies would weigh 7.5 kilograms or 16.5 pounds. "This weight would be comparable to my husband's bowling ball!" Ms. LaMonaca exclaimed. "I brought it in for my student's to hold. WOW!!"

Mrs. Anastasio's third grade class in Carlsbad, CA, realized this is the same weight as "Brittany's baby brother or a fox."

Mrs. McCabe's 5th grade from Midland, TX, even showed their math: "We think a branch with 15,000 butterflies weighs about 7,500,000 mg, which is the same as 7,500 grams/7.5 kilograms. 1 kilogram is about 2.2 lbs., so 7.5 kilos equals to 16.5 lbs per branch! (16.5347 exactly) One gallon of milk weighs 8lbs. So 2 gallons of milk is a weight comparison."

Valentine’s Day Challenge: Have a Heart?
It’s Valentine’s Day! Doesn't that make you wonder...

Challenge Question #4:
"Do monarch butterflies have hearts? What do our hearts do, and why or why not do you think a monarch needs one?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Instructional Strategy Spotlight: "Snapshot Sentences"
Reading Writing Selection
Authors make pictures with words. Sentences that include sensory details to help a reader visualize ideas are called Snapshot Sentences. When responding to Challenge Question #2 above, help students write descriptive details that evoke images. If, after viewing the video clip of the monarch colonies last week, you made lists for List Poems, go back to the lists you generated for ideas.
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-monarch@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #2 (#3 or #4)
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Monarch Butterfly Migration Update Will Be Posted on February 21, 2003

 

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