Becoming a Tour Guide
at the Monarch's Winter Home in Mexico

Raul treasures the book he's holding. He would show it to you if he could. He'd flip through its pages and show you maps of the monarch's migration, pictures of the monarch's life cycle, and he'd tell you details about the monarch's amazing story.

Raul's book was published by the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation. It was written by American monarch biologist, Dr. Karen Oberhauser.

Before this book was written — and translated into Spanish — guides at the monarch sancturies did not have easy access to information about monarch butterflies. Raul father is a newly trained guide at the Sierra Chincua sanctuary.

The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation conducts training workshops for guides. The goal is to teach local people to be tour guides at the butterfly sanctuaries. This will provide income for them. Biologist Eneida Montesinos leads the workshops. You can see her working here with a future guide.

The future guides learn in-depth information about monarchs and overwintering biology. The guides prepare to share what they learn with people who visit the sanctuary. They will meet people from around the world and serve proudly as local representatives.

"When we visit a monarch colony, now we go as researchers!" said Eneida.

Expert guests came to the workshop. By the end of the workshop, the guides are ready to lead tours of their own.

"Eligio García taught us a simple method to estimate the size of the colonies, and Eduardo Rendon explained how natural areas are protected by Mexico's government," said Eneida.