Published: 11/04/2020

Dear Butterfly People,

November 1st found the El Capulin cemetery eerily empty. An official sign at the gate required the application of hand gel, the use of masks, and visits of 15 minutes or less. There was no gel on hand, only a smattering of masks in use, and the one significant gathering, a new widow and her adult children surrounded by coolers and a sound system, looked like they weren’t leaving anytime soon.

 

End is in Sight

This week monarch sightings were limited to coastal California and the southern deserts of Arizona after a recent cold spell that dropped temperatures below freezing in the higher elevations of the region. Despite the low temperatures, small pockets of rabbitbrush and other flowers were still available as limited nectar resources to monarchs on the final leg of their migration journey.

 

Hurrying on their Way

Winds from the north helped monarch numbers explode in the greater Phoenix area in Arizona this past week along with sunny days and warm temperatures. Monarchs also were reported in New Mexico and California and near their migration destinations. But as this new week dawned, a drastic change in weather conditions in the Southwest snuffed out further migration movement.

Our Contributors

Thanks to Ms. Estela Romero and Dr. Ellen Sharp, Journey North is able to bring our readers news about monarch butterflies from the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve) in Mexico. These Letters From The Field herald the arrival of millions of monarchs to their overwintering habitat in the high altitude forests situated within the states of Mexico and Michoacán. From October to February, Ms. Romero and Dr.

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