Did you know that October marks the month when Monarch butterflies residing in the Eastern part of North America begin their migration south to Mexico? According to the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, every year these Monarchs travel through Central Texas and down to the same 11-12 mountain areas of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, where they “hibernate” until March. During these cold months, tens of thousands of Monarchs will cluster together on trees in the Oyamel Forest, which is recognized by the Mexican Government as a Monarch reserve.
North American Monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains skip the descent into Mexico and head for the California instead. They’ll roost in eucalyptus, Monterey pines, Monterey cypress trees along the Pacific coasts of Santa Cruz and San Diego to survive the cooler winter months.
Can you imagine these tiny beings traveling such long distances to get to their “winter homes” in California and Mexico? Luckily, the temperature in our Conservatory is always ideal for our 3,000 friendly butterflies so you can see them flying freely year-round at Butterfly Wonderland!
