Residents of Mexican village go to great lengths to protect monarch butterfly: 'It was something I had never seen before'

A small town in Mexico is making a big impact on preserving and protecting the monarch butterfly, a vulnerable species at risk of extinction.

Since 2015, a group of volunteers at the Joya Redonda Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in San Miguel Atlautla has been carefully monitoring the behavior of monarch butterflies that migrate to the region for hibernation every year, as reported by Atlas Obscura. The group also keeps watch over the sanctuary area to prevent disturbances to the butterflies from nature and humans, such as logging.

Unfortunately, the efforts have been needed, as the number of monarchs has declined over the last two decades, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, due to factors like changing weather patterns, the overheating of the planet, exposure to insecticides, and loss of their natural grassland habitat from human intervention.

"Monarchs are particularly remarkable because they migrate each year, flying from as far as Canada and across the United States to congregate at a few forested overwintering sites in the mountains of central Mexico and coastal California," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

"These sites are an amazing phenomenon: thousands of monarchs cluster in the trees in California, and millions of monarchs drape large swathes of forest in Mexico."

In San Miguel Atlautla, likely as a result of the efforts made by the Joya Redonda Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the number of monarchs arriving every year has been increasing tenfold. Throughout the winter, volunteers camp out in the mountains near the butterflies to track and protect them, led by Eduardo Carrillo.

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Carrillo has spent years studying and working with monarch butterflies and experienced some of their migration habits firsthand when he worked as a National Park Service employee.

"I had the great surprise of seeing the butterflies emerge from an enormous colony in a tree," Carrillo told Atlas Obscura. "It was something I had never seen before. From that point, I fell in love with the monarch butterfly."

Now he spends his time monitoring the monarch population in San Miguel Atlautla and advocating for their respect in the community to preserve their habitat.

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Earlier this year, the World Wildlife Fund noted that increasing temperatures and drought affected milkweed, the plant where they lay their eggs, causing a drastic decline in population. Some people, like "The Milkweed Man," have taken matters into their own hands, rallying communities to grow the vital plant to aid the butterflies during their migration.

Since monarch butterflies are endangered, it's important that people take local action, including making backyards friendly to these crucial pollinators.

Monarchs hibernate in oyamel fir trees, which are endangered due in part to the warming climate. Conservationists in Mexico are increasing their efforts to plant more of these trees in suitable areas to encourage the monarch population to thrive.

Environmentalists and non-profit groups also host events and workshops to educate residents on the importance of monarch butterflies in their hibernation regions. Making monarchs a part of community culture and local traditions can help protect them for years to come.