Monarch Butterflies Welcome to Our Winter & Spring Seasons! We're glad you are joining us this winter and spring. Here's a quick overview of our monarch migration season: 1) When Does Journey North Take Place? Winter: February-March We begin the program in February, when the Monarchs are at the over-wintering sites in Mexico where they have been since November. For the first 6 weeks our theme is survival. We explore monarch adaptations, habitat and the climate of the monarch's winter home. Spring: March-June The monarchs begin their spring migration in March. An announcement comes from Mexico when the monarchs are on their way. The migration continues into June, when the monarchs reach the northernmost part of their breeding range in Canada. 2) Follow the Weekly News "Monarch Migration Updates" are posted every Thursday, beginning on February 4th. These updates are the core of Journey North. For general information about updates and examples see: About Migration Updates See the Spring Monarch Migration Updates for this year's spring program. 3) Keep a Journal While following weekly monarch news, students use journals to record and reflect on observations, experiences, and data — and put forth opinions, predictions, and theories. Teachers use journals as assessment tools. Winter: Surviving the Winter in Mexico Spring: The Magic of Monarch Butterfly Migration 4) Map the Migration See: Mapping Monarch Butterfly Migration 5) Report Your Observations Get ready to report your monarch observations! Read about the Spring Monarch Migration Study. You can submit field observations any time, day or night. They will appear on the map within five minutes. Try the system now by submitting a "Practice Report." 6) Predict the Migration Route Use this central lesson, along with reading the Weekly Updates, while tracking the migration: Predicting the Monarch's Spring Migration Route. More Monarch Teaching and Learning Resources Information, Activities and Lessons: Winter and Spring Monarchs for Kids. Image rich, student-friendly activities. Frequently Asked Questions about monarchs, along with answers from scientists. Also See General Journey North Resources Journey North: Resources For Teachers Orientation to Journey North Background Lessons (for use with any or all Journey North species). Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2024 Journey North. All rights reserved.