Bringing the Kids to See the Monarchs in Mexico

We can see a butterfly flying around flowers anywhere, but where can we behold the wondrous sight of millions and millions of butterflies dancing, warming up to Spring and mating? We cannot hear a single butterfly's wing movements, is there a chance of hearing the fluttering of their wings if there were millions of them?

Epic migrations: fascinating and intriguing

Everyone is familiar with the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). They are fascinating because they can make annual migrations of more than 2000 miles from Canada to Mexico (or California) each time winter approaches, and then back the same way when Spring arrives. We always wonder how a fragile-looking insect can accomplish that feat. What is intriguing is, they have a usual lifespan of less than 2 months, but for that special generation that makes its way from Canada to the oyamel forests in Mexico, they live up 7 months or more. Some have dubbed that the "Methuselah generation", with reference to the man in the Bible who lived the longest. How do they know when to start the migration? Those born in mid summer don't migrate, only those born at the end of summer!

That generation spends months flying to the exact same over-wintering spots in Mexico every year, rest there for the whole of winter, warm up when Spring arrives (around March), mate, fly northward, lay eggs (for the females), then die. How do the butterflies know where to fly to? Scientists had only recently discovered the small areas of oyamel fir forests that hosted the butterflies during winter.

The 2^nd generation that hatched from eggs laid on milkweed plants continue their journey northward, laying eggs on milkweed plants along the way, then they die. The 3^rd and 4^th generations do the same thing, and manage to navigate through the whole of USA till they reach Canada. Scientists are still researching how the butterflies know where to fly towards, even though there is a gap in generations. It is baffling but they have worked out that the butterflies may rely on the position of the sun and circadian rhythms to determine their hereditary flight patterns.

Besides that, the oyamel forests are high up in the mountains (about 10,000 feet or more) and the temperatures in winter are cold. Why would the Monarchs fly all the way to central Mexico and decide to spend winter in a not-so-warm place? As Schappert remarked in his book³, it is an enigma.

My family wondered about all these questions too, so we decided to travel south from Utah, USA to Michoacan, Mexico, in March. We did not go there to obtain answers to the questions, we only wanted to appreciate and admire the amazing orange and black jewels.

The Sanctuaries - El Rosario

El Rosario was the more popular one among tourists. It had steps and railings for the first part of the climb up the mountain, and there were signs giving more information about the butterflies, their life cycles and migration. The guides and signs reminded tourists not to stray from the designated path as well as other tips for preserving the precious habitat of the Monarchs.

Even though we had Felix, it was the rules to have a native guide follow us. It not only helps the locals gain more revenue through tourism, it also goes towards maintaining the oyamel forests. The locals had long been chopping down the trees for firewood and for sale to support their families. Ever since th forests were protected, they feel their source of income had been taken away, so efforts are taken to ensure employment so they can still support their families.

We had to pay admission fees, the native guide fees and then also tip them at the end of the trip. The fees are all inexpensive though, and certainly worth it.

For one, they carried my elder son on their shoulders when he could not climb any further, towards the top. They are very friendly, and it was they who suggested that they could carry my son, on their own initiative. My husband was already carrying my younger son in a carrier, and I was struggling myself. The incline is very steep, and the steps seemed to never end. I was also breathless because of the high altitude (8500ft or 2600m). The actual distance we have to climb is about 1 mile or 1.6 km.

We made it up in our own time, and not once did Felix or the other guide hurry us. Once at the locations where the millions of butterflies were, we were allowed to spend as much time as we wanted as well. We were so amazed at how quiet and peaceful the forest is, and how we were able to hear the soft fluttering of the butterfly wings.

Sometimes it was hard to distinguish leaves on the tree from the butterflies, because when they cluster together, only the undersides of their wings are exposed, and they have a brownish color. It was fascinating for my kids to see a clump of seemingly "dead leaves" on the tree branch suddenly come alive and dance around, turning the sky bright orange in color.

There were hundreds of butterflies on the ground as well, some mating, some resting, some drinking water from puddles. Thousands more were flitting around our faces, brushing past our ears. I had the time of my life when a beautiful Monarch decided to crawl all the way from the ground onto my Salomons, and then make its way slowly up my trekking pants to my knee! It could have continued, but the native guide decided it should go back to where it belonged, so he picked up a twig from the ground , coaxed the butterfly onto the twig, and set it down gently in the bushes.

We continued walking uphill amongst thicker undergrowth for a while, getting a closer look at the butterflies resting on tree trunks. The normally brown trunk would be transformed into a whole stretch of orange, black and gold.

We finally left and descended the mountain after about 1.5 hours.

The Sanctuaries - Sierra Chincua

Our family liked this one more than El Rosario. For my hubby and me, there were less people here, more solitude, and more time to appreciate the butterflies. For my sons, the horse ride stole the show.

Felix did not follow us on this hike, so there was just the horse owner and the sanctuary guide. Horse ride cost 100 pesos to and fro, so we rented 2 horses. The unfit me already had sore and aching muscles due to the steep climb at Rosario the previous day, so I was glad to ride the horse for half of the journey. My younger son and I rode a white horse, while my older son and hubby sat on a brown steed.

I was glad we rode the horses, because it was a good distance from the entrance. We rode past a huge rolling meadow, with alpine trees and flowers, then the horses negotiated many steep descents into the oyamel forest. It was a 15 minute ride, but would have taken us 45 minutes or more to hike that distance, with the 2 kids.

The horses stopped at a clearing and we had to dismount and go the rest of the distance by foot. The horses are not allowed further as the butterfly habitat may be disturbed if they went beyond that. The trails were much narrower after that section.

The horse owner stayed with the horses while the guide went along with us. Once in a while, he will point out things of interest, like hordes of butterflies together, those mating, and other interesting flora and fauna. He only spoke Spanish though, but he had a guidebook with pictures that he thumbed through to show us as well. Whenever we wanted to stop, he will also stop and wait patiently without hurrying us. We had all the time in the world.

After half an hour, we reached a clearing and it was definitely where we wanted to just sit and enjoy the millions of Monarchs. At this clearing, there were many oyamel fir trees full of butterflies and millions more flying in the air. As it was a clearing, it was perfect for photography too. There was another Mexican family, and a few American and Canadian tourists there, definitely less than the number we saw at Rosario the previous day. Everyone was subdued and quiet though, and most were sitting and not moving around too much, so that the butterflies will just fly right past and do their own thing.

We had the pleasure of being able to observe their whole mating ritual, both the aerial and ground phases. We also watched them take sips of water, and do their pretty dances in the air. We could see how the sun would warm a group of butterflies on the tree, causing them to simultaneously all stretch out their wings and start flying. When a strong breeze blew, we could see millions more soar up into the sky, riding on the wind, gliding past us. It was a striking and unforgettable sight.

We lingered there for a very long time. I lost track of time but it could have been 2 hours. By the time we reached the entrance, poor Felix looked famished. After tipping the guides, we proceeded to have lunch at a small makeshift stall there, and gave Felix a well-deserved lunch treat. The lunch was prepared on the spot, and we had cheese and beef quesadillas, with grilled nopales. We also bought a few small souvenirs to support the locals who are protecting the sanctuary.

Then we headed back to Mexico City.

The trip - getting there

There are currently around 5 known overwintering sites. Not all are open to the public. We chose to visit 2 of those that allowed public access - El Rosario (the most popular) and Sierra Chincua.

We had a local guide in Mexico City, engaged for us by S&S Tours, because we did not want to drive in unfamiliar territory and we also could not speak Spanish. He drove us to El Rosario from Centro Historico in Mexico City, and the ride took about 4 hours to get to the base of where the sanctuary would be. After that, the road changed to a cobblestone one that is pretty narrow, so it took another 45 minutes to reach the sanctuary entrance.

After the hike, we left the sanctuary for Hotel Don Bruno in Angangueo, which was around 45 minute's drive, taking into the account the conditions of the roads. Angangueo is a charming little village on the mountainside, with just one main road and some cobblestone streets. A mine was discovered there in the 17^th century, and Europeans, British and Americans had operated it. There is a beautiful old chapel there.

Accomodation

Hotel Don Bruno is a small hotel with rooms that have fireplaces and rooms without any heating. If you require rooms with fireplaces, then you have to book them well in advance. We had a room without heating and because the nights would be pretty chilly and icy cold, we rented a portable heater. This was arranged for us by S&S Tours, since we had communication barriers with the hotel reception. They could not understand us and vice versa.

The hotel has a rooftop garden and a nice restaurant. There are flowers everywhere, so the gardens and surroundings are very scenic. We had a lot of fun ordering food in the restaurant because the menu was totally in Spanish and none spoke any English. We used hand actions and drew what we wanted. The young boy who was our server was helpful and friendly. He also took initiative to give us more than what we needed. He was also very good with the kids, giving them paper and pencils to doodle, and changing money for my husband. Service was excellent. We had authentic Mexican food too.

The room was a basic one. It had 2 twin beds for the 4 of us, and very little else. There was no television or internet access, and the toilet had open windows for ventilation. That allowed the cold air to come in though, so we had to keep the toilet door closed, otherwise it was very chilly in the room. The toilet sink was leaky as well. There was a shower stand, and no bath tub. None of us wanted to shower though, it was so cold!

Getting to Sierra Chincua

Since the butterflies are active when it is warmer in the day, we left Angangueo only at 11am. The ride in Felix's van took about 30 minutes only, and was a scenic and pleasant one, winding around the mountainsides, going through the forests.

From Sierra Chincua to Mexico City

We left Sierra Chincua in the afternoon, around 2pm and reached the outskirts of Mexico City within 3.5 hours. Due to a massive traffic jam on the highways, as it was peak period for all the working people in the city who are travelling home from work, we reached the Holiday Inn Zocalo only at 7.30pm. All along the journey, we took in the beauty of Michoacan state, her lake, rolling hills, farms and friendly people.

This trip is a memorable experience that would be remembered for a lifetime.

References for kids (in order of personal preference):

1. Lynn Rosenblatt (1998). Monarch Magic!: Butterfly Activities & Nature Discoveries. Age 4-8.

2. Sam Swope and Sue Riddle (2004). Gotta Go! Gotta Go! Age 3-6.

3. Haque, Lancaster-Jones and du Houx (2003). Madalynn the Monarch Butterfly and Her Quest to Michoacan. Age 9-12.

4. Antoine O Flatharta and Meilo So (2005). Hurry and the Monarch. Age 4-8.

5. Kathryn Lasky and Christopher G. Knight(1993). Monarchs. Age 7-12.

References for this article:

1. Eric S. Grace (1997). The World of the Monarch Butterfly.

2. Sue Halpern (2001). Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly.

3. Phil Schappert (2004). The Last Monarch Butterfly: Conserving the Monarch Butterfly in a Brave New World.

4. Michelle J. Solensky (Ed.) and Karen S. Oberhauser (Ed.) (2004). The Monarch Butterfly: Biology and Conservation.