Great Participation Across United States and Canada
Participation from 41 US states and 2 Canadian provinces. It's fantastic to see such a wide range of folks getting involved. This year Ms. Romero focuses her lessons on monarchs and the ajolote (axolotyl), an amazing amphibian of Mexico.
Greetings!
During this Symbolic Monarch Migration season, every U.S. state within the contiguous 48 has participants except Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The highest number of participants are from Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. We also had participants from the two Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Participation spanned grade levels and organizations. While the majority of participants are educators and students from elementary schools, we’re thrilled to see involvement from Pre-K and high school students. This year, participants joined from schools, libraries, zoos, nature centers, religious institutions, and even Girl Scout troops! It’s fantastic to see such a wide range of folks getting involved.
To date, Ms. Romero has delivered over 400 Ambassadors to students in eleven Mexican schools. To search for your Ambassador, use the SEARCH function at the top right of the web page to enter your city or school name. Be patient as the delivery of Ambassadors will take several months, finishing in late February 2024.
If you have not yet posted your participation on Journey North, follow the instructions on this web page and of course, if you continue to see real monarchs, please submit your sightings by following this link.
Symbolic Migration participant, Erica, wrote: “Amigos y Amigas. We are grateful to our friends in Mexico for caring for the monarchs and their habitat. Gracias!” (11/28/2023)
This year Ms. Romero focuses on the ajolote (axolotyl) in her lessons and activities with students. Axolotls derive their name from Xolotl, the Aztec deity linked to fire and lightning, capable of transforming into a salamander. Xolotl, associated with dogs, coupled with the Aztec term “atl” meaning “water,” contributes to the translation of “axolotl” as “water dog.” Unlike other salamanders, the axolotl embraces perpetual youth, retaining tadpole-like characteristics throughout its life. While other salamanders undergo transformations and transition to life on land, the axolotl remains exclusively aquatic, akin to its larval stage. Despite developing functional lungs, it uniquely relies on its intricate gills, resembling delicate feathers, for underwater respiration. This aquatic species retains external gills, a tail, and a dorsal fin, lacking the movable eyelids characteristic of mature individuals.
This salamander appears on the new 50 pesos note. Download the app BilletesMX and watch the money come alive!
Sincerely,
Susan Meyers
The Symbolic Monarch Migration is a project of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum) and Monarchs Across Georgia (a committee of the nonprofit organization, the Environmental Education Alliance). Journey North manages the interactive Symbolic Monarch Migration Participant Maps and hosts educational materials on its website. Monarchs Across Georgia administers the project including coordinating the exchange of symbolic butterflies among 2000+ classrooms in three countries, engaging a contract worker to provide lessons and deliver materials in Mexico, and raising funds for the project’s continuation.
