On their way to Mexico, monarch butterflies have found themselves unable to take flights either due to strong winds or unusually warm weather. They spent weeks hunkered down in the Midwest, waiting for favorable conditions.
Kristen Baum, director of Monarch Watch, held a tagging event in September to track butterfly migration. Usually, her team tags for around a week, but this year, they were tagging for a month. She said this year’s delayed migrations come after years of the monarch population declining.
“The loss of milkweed because of agricultural fields is a big contributing factor to the declining population,” Baum said. “Some years are a little better than others, but overall, the numbers are still very low. And this year was an interesting one.”
As they migrate over 3,000 miles, these important pollinators bulk up on nectar from flowers, but Baum said peak blooms happened before the butterflies arrived. That means it’s not only a question of how late the butterflies will be, but also if many will make it to their final destination at all.
Not only do monarchs have ecological impacts, but they also play an important role in Dias de los Muertos celebrations. It is traditionally believed that when a person passes away, their soul transforms into this type of butterfly, and their arrival in Mexico represents the spirit returning home.
This symbolism has ignited conservation efforts in Mexico. Baum said waystations for monarchs along their migration route can also greatly increase the number of butterflies that arrive for the holiday.
Monarch Watch in Kansas provides free milkweed plants and holds tagging events in an effort to help these butterflies along their journey.
- Kristen Baum, director of Monarch Watch
