Field FAQs With Holly Morris Spring Awakening in Mexico’s Monarch Migration
ByMary Anne Potts
February 12, 2009
2 min readI want to go to Mexico for my spring break, but I’ve done the beach party thing. Any suggestions?
A. As college kids crash the border this spring, one of the world’s most magical natural events is going in the opposite direction: the northerly migration of the monarch butterfly. Starting in January but peaking in March, central Mexico’s oyamel fir forest bursts with dazzling orange as 100 million monarchs awaken to begin a 2,000-mile journey to their summer grounds east of the Rockies in the U.S. and Canada. To see the spectacle for yourself, head to the town of Angangueo in Michoacán, the hilly state known for its handcrafted guitars and talented village artisans. Local guides will show you around El Rosario, the only monarch sanctuary open to the public. If you prefer to go outfitted, Natural Habitat Adventures offers trips led by biologists who can explain why monarch populations have been dropping dramatically in recent years. Watching the winged clouds flutter toward their destiny could very well blow your mind—and spare you the hangover.
Holly Morris is a TV host ( Treks in a Wild World Globe Trekker Adventure Divas
Illustration by Kate Miller
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