The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Catalina Aguado and Ken Brugger's famous official discovery of the first monarch butterfly colonies in the forests of Michoacán. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve decree, which protects the winter home of these wonderful insects.
To celebrate both events, the directors of the Biosphere Reserve, along with scientists and students from various institutions, non-governmental organizations, and local stakeholders, organized a monarch gathering in Contepec on March 24. The event was organized to share studies on the monarch butterfly that have been conducted in the region with people from the Reserve's communities, in a format where project posters and results were on display.
The event was well attended and the initiative to share with the residents was successful. The main objective of this event was to strengthen ties between communities and academia to continue efforts to conserve the monarch butterfly and its forests, with everyone on board.
For more information about the formation of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and Monarch Butterfly Fund’s role in the region, click here.
Photo: Diego Pérez
