About the Symbolic Migration 2022-2023

Join students across the globe to create symbolic monarch butterflies to send to Mexico. Youth who live near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico will protect the paper butterflies and return them in the spring. Through the Symbolic Migration, youth are united by the monarch butterfly and celebrate its spectacular migration. The symbolic butterflies’ fall flight is timed to correspond with the real monarchs’ journey south. As the eastern population of North American monarchs arrive in Mexico for the winter, students from the sanctuary region receive their symbolic butterflies. Sometime in March, when the real monarchs’ departure from Mexico is announced, the paper butterflies return north carrying special messages from the students in Mexico.

The annual migration of millions of monarchs across North America is among the world’s most spectacular natural events. Countries across Mexico, United States and Canada must cooperate to protect the monarch butterfly. Your participation represents international support for the monarch.

The Symbolic Migration project is a partnership project between Journey North, a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, and Monarchs Across Georgia, The Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, a 501(c)(3) organization. Journey North manages the interactive Symbolic Migration Participant Maps and hosts all educational materials on the Journey North website. Monarchs Across Georgia administers the program and is responsible for all fundraising.  

**Note that the participation deadline is October 07, 2022.