KEEP AUTUMN MIGRATIONS BEAUTIFUL: SAVE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES NOW

MONARCH MIGRATIONS

The delicate orange flutter of monarch butterfly wings amass in a passionate flee as autumn closes in on North America.

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrate south and west each autumn to escape the cold weather. The sight of millions making their journey against crystalline blue skies  is spectacular to behold.

Amazingly, monarch's favor the same over-wintering trees each year, despite the fact that each year produces a totally new generation -- they cannot remember, yet somehow they know.

Monarchs that live east of the Rocky Mountains, migrate to Mexico and hibernate in oyamel fir trees. Many migrate to the sanctuaries of the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Monarchs that live west of the Rocky Mountains, head to Pacific Grove, California, and hang out in eucalyptus trees.

Monarch butterflies are the only insects that migrate as far as 2,500 miles away.

Freezing temperatures don’t bode well for monarchs’ bodies -- they also kill off the plants that feed monarch larvae.

Check out Monarchwatch for lots of information on tracking the seasonal migrations.

Monarch overwintering sites are under threat because human encroachment, cutting down the trees and plants that support their lifecycle.

Monarch butterfly populations have been decimated, dropping ten-fold drop over the last decade. A recent study predicted that this population will go quasi-extinct over the next 20 years.

You can learn more about helping monarchs here.

Read more about Beautiful Autumn in Celebrating Ideas & Images of Autumn Now.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Tim. “Migration.”
2. Image: by Luna sin estrellas. “Monarch Butterfly, El Rosario Sanctuary, Michoacàn-Mèxico.”
3. Image: by Johanna Madjedi. “Monarchs.”
4. Image: by Yani Dubin. “Stained-glass Windows. Danaus plexippus (Monarch Butterfly).”
5. Image: by Lori Branham. “Natural Bridges State Park.”
6. Image: by Alex. “Monarch Butterflies in Migration.”
7. Image: by Tarnya Hall. “Monarchs in Motion.”
8. Image: by Putneypics. “Monarch Butterfly, Vermont.”
9. Image: by Ken Slade. “Monarchs and Goldenrod.”
10. Image: by Lisa Brown. “Migrating Monarch Mayhem. A Flutter Frenzy!”
11. Image: by BN App - Download now!
12. Image: by Christina VanMeter. “Butterfly Effect.”