Monarch Population Status

The WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance, in collaboration with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), announced the total forest area occupied by overwintering monarch colonies today. Ten (10) colonies were located this winter season with a total area of 2.84 hectares, a 35% increase from the previous season (2.10 ha):

Figure 1. Total Area Occupied by Monarch Colonies at Overwintering Sites in Mexico.

WWF notice: Aumenta 35% la presencia de mariposas Monarca en los bosques de hibernación de Michoacán y el Estado de México

Report (spanish): Monitoreo de la colonias de hibernación de la mariposa monarca en México

WWF story: Eastern monarch butterfly population shows signs of recovery

Report (english): Areas of forest occupied by the colonies of monarch butterflies in Mexico during the 2021-2022 overwintering period

The WWF-TELMEX Telcel Foundation Alliance collaborates with CONANP to systematically monitor the hibernation of the Monarch since 2004, and they join the Institute of Biology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to analyze changes in forest cover in the area core of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in order to have scientific bases that support the implementation of conservation strategies for the benefit of the species, ecosystems and human beings.