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.