Some people are seeing the butterflies transition through their annual cycles already. In some cases, it’s more evident to see which butterflies are where on their short journey through life at their breeding grounds.

Eastern monarchs typically go through four or five generations in a single year. The monarchs from Mexico migrate into the South, laying eggs beginning in mid-March. The offspring of the first generation from Mexico then migrates north to lay eggs. 

Happy Pollinator Week! As the Summer Solstice draws near, monarchs are surging into Oregon and Idaho with reports they are touching the Washington state border. Monarch movement now gradually stops as they set up breeding grounds across the entire West. Keep your eyes open for monarchs as you celebrate the warm days of summer! 

Growth of a Program

Journey North began at the dawn of the internet. Early efforts to track wildlife migrations were done the "old-fashioned" way, via phone, letters, and emails. Online data entry systems were in their infancy. Experts in the field provided detailed information to Journey North staff, who then displayed this information on static maps and shared updates with the public through emailed news stories. Many educators and students, the early audience of these migration stories, benefited greatly from hearing directly from experts.