Posted February 10, 2010 by Sarada Krishnan, Director of Horticulture

All of us had been waiting for this day…the highlight of the trip. The Sierra Chincua Monarch Sanctuary is one of four publicly accessible sanctuaries, two of which are in the state of Mexico (El Rosario & Sierra Chincua) and two in the state of Michoacán (Cerro Pelón & La Mesa). A 45-minute drive from Tlalpujahua takes us to the Reserve entrance. The butterfly site is another 45-60 minute hike from the entrance and some opt to go on horseback while others hike through the forests. The predominant tree species is the Oyamel fir (Abies religiosa), named so because of the branching structure that looks like a cross.
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Posted September 14, 2009 by Sarada Krishnan, Director of Horticulture

Of all nature’s wonders, one of the most fascinating phenomenons is the annual migration ritual performed by Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in North America. What is amazing is how these tiny creatures, four or five generations removed, return year after year to the same overwintering grounds in Mexico. Millions of monarch butterflies during fall make the trip from the eastern United States and Canada each year to Mexico’s southwestern flank of the Transverse Neovolcanic Mountains congregating in the oyamel fir (Abies religiosa) forest, ten thousand feet in elevation. No other butterfly performs such an arduous migration feat as the monarch with some individuals traveling up to 2,000 miles.
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Posted in: At the Gardens, Conservation & Ecology, Education - Comments(2)