SAN JOSE, Calif. — Growing up in California in the ‘80s, I remember being completely mesmerized by the annual Monarch butterfly migration, the undulating magic carpet of bright orange beauties taking wing on the Central Coast. It was breathtaking.
I’ve always wanted my daughter, Daphne, 11, to glimpse that vision, but it’s never been in the cards. For years, Monarch populations have been plummeting, victims of habitat loss, environmental toxins and climate change. Experts say the Western Monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 99 percent since the heyday of the 1980s.
So instead, the two of us have dutifully planted milkweed and other native plants in the backyard, doing our part to try and keep the California icon off the extinction list, with very little luck. They may call it a weed, but it sure doesn’t grow like one.
That’s why it feels so miraculous that the butterflies may finally be making a modest comeback. This year, the Monarch butterfly count found 200,000 butterflies, up from just 30,000 last year, a record low.
To celebrate this small victory, we made a weekend pilgrimage to a mecca of Monarchs, the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, where some 13,000 butterflies spend the winter, huddling together on pine, cypress and eucalyptus trees. Open to visitors from sunrise to sunset daily, it’s one of the prime overwintering sites for the winged creatures.
Monarchs may be small, but their journey is epic. The 3- to 4-inch butterflies make one of the most impressive migrations of any species, flying hundreds of miles from Mexico to the California coast, where the Western population overwinters. The colony peaks in size from early December to February, with mating season taking place right around Valentine’s day.
To be honest, even with the recent resurgence, it’s still nothing like it used to be, back in the days when there were millions of monarchs teeming amid the trees. Daphne was slightly disappointed that the swarms of yore were not in evidence. Instead, you have to keep quiet and look hard, keeping your neck craned toward the tree canopy, to see the little lovelies. Binoculars come in handy.
Still, it is heartwarming to have a little bit of good environmental news, like the return of the otters, in what can seem like a dark time for the planet. As a parent trying to teach my daughter about staying positive in the face of adversity, I’ll take all the bright spots I can get.
When going on a butterfly quest, remember that monarchs love the sun. The hotter it is, the more active they are. Visiting between 12 and 3 p.m. offers the best chance of seeing the winged insects frolic in the sun.
Monarchs don’t fly when the temperature gets below 55 degrees, so time your visit accordingly. When it’s too cold and dark, it’s all too easy to mistake the butterflies for clumps of dead leaves hanging from the trees. You might walk right past them.
Speaking of walking, it’s important to stay on the sanctuary’s paths at all times. Monarchs like to drink water from the foggy dew left on the ground. If you stray off the path, you could step on a monarch and never know it.
Be sure to look for the sanctuary’s docents, who offer peeks through their scopes, as well as insights into the annual migration.
Once the temperature plummets, and the butterflies become too hard to spot, you might take a stroll through the Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, where a Monarch exhibit is slated to open in January, before exploring the town. The museum’s fascinating collection dedicated to local birds, such as Anna’s hummingbird, with its iridescent head, and the majestic California condor, another creature narrowly rescued from the brink of extinction, is another must-see.
Pacific Grove has always been a charming little seaside village of gussied-up Victorians. But during the winter, it’s also a wonderland of twinkling lights and small town delights. Don’t leave town without wandering down to the beach at picturesque Lover’s Point.
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If you go
The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is open from sunrise to sunset daily at 250 Ridge Road in Pacific Grove. Admission is free. www.pacificgrove.org.
Admission is $6 to $9 for the Pacific Grove Museum, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 165 Forest Ave. The museum also offers an audio tour of the Monarch Sanctuary, which you can download before you go, and virtual tours at www.pgmuseum.org.
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