Several hundred million Monarch Butterflies spend the winter clinging to Oyamel Fir trees on a few mountain tops in the states of Michoacán and México. Waxy pine and oyamel needles shelter the monarchs, protecting them from moisture. When the butterflies become wet and temperatures drop to freezing, millions perish. Relentless logging has compromised the forest canopy that once protected monarchs. A growing human population around these butterfly havens and increased demand for wood gravely threaten the survival of the over-wintering butterflies, as well as the forest environment in general. Once cleared of the native forests, poor soils quickly become depleted and eroded.
Our Methods for Protecting the Overwintering Phenomenon
Restoring forest in the buffer zones and other areas around the monarch’s overwintering habitat is a crucial step in providing stability to the region. Reforestation is being undertaken as part of a strategy to help secure the longterm survival of monarch butterflies. Our goal is to reduce the rate of deforestation in the monarch reserve by establishing alternative sites for wood to be sustainably harvested to meet the high demand that exists in the area for domestic and industrial wood use.
