The annual migration of monarch butterflies is one of North America’s most iconic natural phenomena, filled with fascinating natural history enigmas that have intrigued the scientific community for over 50 years. In recent decades, the monarch population has declined by 90% due to the loss of their breeding habitat from the expansion of industrial agriculture and urban development in the native prairies of the United States and Canada. Additionally, deforestation in Mexico, where the monarchs spend the winter, and extreme climate events induced by climate change further threaten their survival.

Monarch butterflies are long-distance migrants, environmental indicators, and an emblematic species among pollinators. Any conservation efforts aimed at protecting their habitat will benefit many other species. Along their migration route, thousands of people are working to reverse this alarming trend and create a new future for the monarchs. Monarchs have become a symbol of North America, and in these polarized times, their story can be used to reconsider our relationship with the natural world, provide hope, and unite the three countries under the same goal: to save the monarchs.