8,000 monarch butterflies fluttering in Pacific Grove
Updated On: Nov 29 2013 10:06:31 AM PST
When November began, Pacific Grove butterfly observers were worried.
Each winter, thousands of monarch butterflies quietly flutter to "Butterfly Town USA."
On Nov. 7, a butterfly count estimated only 3,400 monarchs had arrived at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary downtown, prompting experts to wonder if their migration pattern had changed.
But the butterflies were just fashionably late. On Wednesday, butterfly experts told KSBW that they now think 2013 will be a record year, and the most recent count found 8,400 monarchs in the grove.
During the past few weeks, volunteers planted more trees and daisy bushes in the grove to make it even more attractive to the bright orange and black tropical insects.
"The monarchs are here from October through February and not many things are in bloom then, so we wanted to find something that would put up with Pacific Grove weather and bloom at the right time," volunteer Frances Grate said.
Monarchs that live west of the Rocky Mountains migrate from as far north as Canada to groves in Santa Cruz and Pacific Grove. During their annual journey, they fly 100 miles every day, and soar as high as 10,000 feet.
"A mighty achievement for such a seemingly fragile insect!" pgmuseum.org wrote.
"Why is this migration so unique? In many migrating species, such as birds and whales, the same individuals travel the migration route year after year. In contrast, migrating monarchs have never been to their destination before. In fact, several generations of monarchs have lived and died since last year's butterflies departed," pgmuseum.org wrote.
In other butterfly news, city leaders and Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History directors announced plans to build a "butterfly pavilion," for California's numerous native species.
The pavilion will be built amid native plant gardens at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, and species including California dogface, swallowtails, mourning cloaks, and monarchs will live there. The pavilion will operate during the summer months, when wild monarchs are absent from the grove.
Pavilion visitors will enter a native butterfly ecosystem and see free-flying butterflies interacting with plant life. Museum curators hope visitors emerge with a better understanding of the special environment needed for these remarkable creatures to survive.
”The exhibit will be a wonderfully close and intimate experience with these magical butterflies, perfect for our summer visitors,” Mayor Bill Kampe said.
For more information on the free Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, go to pgmuseum.org or call 831-648-5716. The museum is located at 165 Forest Avenue.
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