I am not an expert, but I am working on becoming one. On my most recent adventure to the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, I learned some pretty interesting facts.
If you live west of the Rocky Mountains, your monarchs travel to the pacific coast for the winter and then back to you for spring.
If you live in the Middle of the United States to the east coast, your monarchs make the longer migration down to Mexico.
What is great about knowing this migration pattern is that those who raise monarchs can perhaps go visit offspring during winter!
Of course the chances are slim that you’ll find your monarchs, but it’s definitely fun to dream. Those of us who live in Southern California, our monarchs can be found from Santa Barbara down. Yes there are wintering grounds found from Northern California all the way down to San Diego!
During my recent trip to Pismo, I also learned that many of the Monarch groves are located on private land. Great right? No. On private land the state has no control over what home owners do. Any simple change in a grove such as branch breaking or tree cut down, the butterflies may not roost there.
The fewer wintering grounds, the fewer monarchs.
So where do your monarchs go?
My Outdoor Spot 