Visit Monarchs at the Monarch Sanctuary

In most migrating species, such as birds and whales, the same individuals travel the migration route year after year.

Monarch butterflies, however, have a different approach. Butterflies are short-lived: most species only live a few days or a few weeks. Monarch butterflies are long-lived for butterflies, and they live just 6-8 weeks.

But the reduced daylight in autumn triggers a new generation of monarchs. This "super-generation" lives an incredible 6-9 months and migrates south to warm winter grounds, like Coastal California. The super-generation is not a solitary species, but aggregates in large groups called clusters. No one knows how this generation knows how to find its overwintering grounds.

At the end of winter, the super-generation mates, lays eggs, and passes away. The next generation lives 6-8 weeks, and it starts the migration back north. These short-lived butterflies spend their lives journeying to a destination they will never reach. It takes several generations to complete the migration back to their northern grounds.

This is a multi-generational migration: it takes several generations of monarch butterflies to complete a single migration, from north to south to back north. It is one of the few multi-generational migrations known.

In addition, most butterfly species are solitary. The dense clusters of monarch butterflies in their overwintering grounds is a natural wonder, made rarer by the many threats that have decimated the monarch butterfly population.

With your support, we hope to keep the beautiful phenomenon of the monarch migration going for future generations.

No matter where you live, you can help to protect the iconic and Endangered monarch butterfly.

1.     Support ecofriendly legislation and leaders on a local, state, and federal level. Support the protection of habitats for monarch butterflies and pollinators. Habitat loss is one of the leading causes of population decline of the Western monarch butterfly.

2.    Plant native nectar plants. Adult monarch butterflies feed off nectar. If you live close to an overwintering site, like Pacific Grove, plant native flowers that bloom in the fall, winter, and/or spring.

3.    If you live at least 5 miles from the coast, plant native milkweeds. Milkweed is not native to coastal California, and introduction of the non-native plant may disrupt the natural migration process.

4.    Refrain from using pesticides around your home – herbicides and insecticides – and support companies that are also pollinator-friendly.

5.    Volunteer at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary to educate the public or gather data about the Western monarch population.

In overwintering habitats like the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, you'll see chandeliers of motionless butterflies hanging from the branches of trees or the tips of leaves.

Unlike warm-blooded animals (like penguins), monarchs do not huddle for warmth. They are cold-blooded, so clustering does not provide warmth.

It does, however, offer protection from the elements. When monarchs cluster, the wind and rain sweep off them, like the shingles on a roof.

Clustering is also a sign that the monarchs have found a good tree, one with the perfect combination of shelter from wind and access to sunlight. If a single butterfly stays on a tree, it's a signal to other monarchs that the tree is a good one, which attracts more and more butterflies to that tree.

Ultimately, you can get trees with thousands upon thousands of monarchs, all perched in these dense clusters. Look closely, and you'll see the wings of the butterflies move gently with the breeze.

The Western Monarch Butterfly is a migratory species: it can be found in different parts of North America, depending on the season.

In the summer, the Western monarch is found in the Pacific Northwest, in states like Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Idaho. During these months, monarchs are solitary and short-lived. Each butterfly lives 6-8 weeks, and they do not socialize outside of mating.

In early September, a new generation emerges with a different lifecycle. This "super-generation" has an instinct to migrate and it lives much longer, 6-9 months! It is this generation that migrates down to areas in Coastal California, like Pacific Grove.

They do not! The monarchs you see in Pacific Grove are a sub-population of the migratory monarch butterfly called the Western Monarch Butterfly. Their northern summer grounds are in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada), and their southern winter grounds are in spots in Coastal California.

Coastal California and Mexico both have mild winter climates, which is what migratory monarchs need. Because California's winter weather is mild, monarch butterflies do not need to travel farther. Once spring time begins, the Western monarch population migrates back up to their northern grounds.

The Eastern Monarch Butterfly population's summer grounds are across all of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. These monarchs all have the same winter grounds in central Mexico.

You can learn more about monarch biology, habitats, and local volunteer opportunities with the Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance:

mrmalliance.org.

For specific questions, you can reach out to us at (831) 648-5716 ext 1024.