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This new short-term study abroad course will feature on-site visits of migratory Monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan, Mexico to learn from direct observations about Monarch winter biology, and their interactions with the local communities. Monarch butterflies migrate annually between Mexico and the United States and Canada. Each year, an estimated 150 million Monarch adults spend the months between November and March inhabiting a specific fir tree species found on a dozen mountaintops scattered across several states in central Mexico. Six of these locations have been set aside as national sanctuaries to protect the butterflies and the high mountain habitat required for their survival. Monarch populations have adapted to overcome periodic bitter cold, severe rainstorms and droughts.
In the US, a Monarch butterfly is one of those insects we see every summer that disappears during the winter only to reappear each spring in search of suitable habitat for feeding and reproduction. While in Mexico where the Monarchs spend their winter, these butterflies not only complete a critical part of their seasonal life cycle, but also make a compelling case for conservation and ecotourism, provided their habitat is not destroyed by the economic pressure to cut the trees for timber and clear the land for pastures.
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The loss of habitat and a declining food supply due to illegal logging operations and encroaching pastures threaten the continued existence of the species. There is a struggle to maintain the integrity of the sanctuaries and protect the Monarchs against the enormous economic pressure to log the forests for timber and expand the rangeland for cattle. Therefore, it is impossible to understand the conservation challenges of Monarchs in Mexico without also considering the cultural context of local community interactions, and understanding something about the overall history and culture of Mexico.
There are lessons for all of us if we take the opportunity to learn how this butterfly which spans multiple generations, travels thousands of miles, and crosses three nations each year has come to rely on the integrity of surrounding environments, and increasingly, the intervention of local communities to survive and be successful.
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