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Mexico Opens Monarch Sanctuaries as First Satellite-Tracked Butterflies Complete Migration

Mexican officials used the season opening to press both neighbors to curb pesticide use that threatens the transcontinental route.

Overview

  • Federal and state authorities inaugurated the 2025–2026 season on Nov. 22 at Sierra Chincua, opening sanctuaries in Michoacán and the State of Mexico daily through March 31, 2026.
  • Researchers report the first full-season tracking of individual monarchs using hundreds of solar-powered transmitters and a phone-based detection network spanning North America and the Caribbean.
  • Project data include a tagged butterfly released Sept. 27 in Lawrence, Kansas, confirmed in Mexico’s Monarch Biosphere Reserve on Nov. 9 after 43 days in flight.
  • Mexican leaders tied the opening to the Plan Michoacán por la Paz y la Justicia, emphasizing community stewardship, recent electrification at Sierra Chincua, and coordinated management by Semarnat and Conanp.
  • Tourism officials forecast about 800,000 visitors and roughly 1 billion pesos in revenue this season, with visitor rules and a 150-peso fee set to protect the oyamel forests.