SEMARNAT Inaugurates Monarch Butterfly Season

Mexico has opened the 2025-2026 monarch butterfly hibernation season in Michoacan and the State of Mexico as part of the federal Plan Michoacan for Peace and Justice, an initiative directed by President Claudia Sheinbaum to strengthen environmental protection in strategic natural areas, including the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

At the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary in Angangueo, Michoacan, federal and state officials inaugurated the season and outlined coordinated efforts with local communities to preserve the species and its habitat. The reserve hosts eight colonies and an estimated 70% of the global monarch population, which travels more than 4,000km from Canada and the United States each year to hibernate in Mexico’s oyamel forests.

Alicia Bárcena, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) highlighted the role of the 121 agrarian communities whose vigilance has contributed to zero illegal logging in the core zone of the reserve. She emphasized the need to extend protection to buffer areas, adding that the goal is to ensure the continuity of the migratory corridor connecting Canada, the United States and Mexico.

She called for coordinating trinational efforts to protect the migratory corridor, noting that Canada and the United States are increasingly using pesticides that hinder the massive arrival of these insects. “We are genuinely concerned to know that our neighbors are using many pesticides that are preventing the larger arrival of the monarch butterfly. We are talking with them about this already,” she said.

Similarly, Alfredo Ramírez, Michoacan Governor, issued a call to the United States and Canada to preserve the monarch butterfly. “Not everything depends on us. Much depends on them because milkweed, which feeds the butterfly, is disappearing due to pesticides, and without food they face extinction,” he said. Ramírez Bedolla also inaugurated an underground electricity system in Sierra Chincua to support tourism services. The state invested MX$3.7 million in the project.

Josefina Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism, said the government seeks a greener tourism that protects more and endures for many years. She announced tourism infrastructure projects, a permanent national and international promotion campaign, and support for regional tourism development in Michoacan.

Pedro Álvarez-Icaza, Head, National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), said the opening of the sanctuaries reaffirms the government’s commitment to the monarch butterfly population, a symbol of migration and renewal. He noted that CONANP will continue coordination with communities, state and municipal governments, civil organizations and international partners.

Álvarez-Icaza later said the agency expects 20% more butterflies this season, projecting a population of 1.8 million individuals in the reserve. Five sanctuaries, three in Michoacan and two in the State of Mexico, will remain open to the public through March 31, 2026. 

The monarch’s annual migration is considered one of the world’s most notable insect journeys. After traveling thousands of kilometers, the butterflies cluster in the oyamel forests of central Mexico. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which spans 56,259ha, contains 13,554ha of core protected area designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.