New Western Monarch Trail Is One of Many Hidden Secrets along Highway 1
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It isn’t just geese and songbirds that migrate away from inclement weather each fall: Western monarch butterflies make impressive journeys of their own from western mountains to inviting habitats adjacent to California’s Highway 1. Visitors can see this dazzling population at several sites all along the Highway 1 Discovery Route. Monarchs truly are one of Highway 1’s most spectacular hidden secrets.
The population numbers, which had declined 99 percent in recent years, might be improving, if the early arrival of western monarchs to Pismo State Beach Monarch Grove is any indication. Grove naturalists have observed a 3,500 percent increase in the October arrivals, a surge that may suggest that more western monarchs are surviving the arduous journey. The Pismo Monarch Grove, another incredible hidden secret along Highway 1, is world-renowned as a butterfly preserve. It offers monarchs stately eucalyptus trees that provide protection from the elements and water in the form of condensed fog, which the butterflies drink on the leaves.
Located directly off Highway 1, the Pismo State Beach Butterfly Grove draws thousands of visitors each winter. Every visitor, whether 8 or 80 years old, will learn about the fascinating life cycle of the species. The butterflies begin congregating in the eucalyptus trees in October when their clusters can be easily viewed as a natural orange and black mural against the dark green leaves. The butterflies “burst” forth when the temperatures reach the mid-50s, taking flight en masse, a natural display few ever forget. Visitors to the hidden secret depart as advocates for western monarch preservation.
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There are many additional areas along the Highway 1 Discovery Route where it is possible to observe the vibrant black and orange butterflies. You can see monarchs on San Simeon Point near Hearst Ranch Winery, at Cambria’s Fiscalini Ranch, and on Morro Bay Golf Course. There are two locations in Los Osos, including the Monarch Grove Nature Area near Sea Pines Golf Resort and Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, as well as the Monarch Dunes Butterfly Habitat in Nipomo.
While public concern about imperiled avian migration routes has led to the establishment of wildlife refuges and other “refueling” stops, there are no “nectar refuges” for the butterflies. In fact, wild meadows that provide ideal growing conditions for milkweed and nectar-producing plants are often the first habitats to be plowed under for expanded agriculture, housing developments, and similar projects. Fortunately, the new Western Monarch Trail will educate visitors about both the butterfly’s improbable migration and the importance of preserving key habitat to support this flight and, ultimately, the species.
Hearst Ranch Winery
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San Simeon Bay
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Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
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The western monarch butterfly’s migration route is an example of nature at its most astounding. Delicate insects bobbing at the whim of the wind, individual monarchs can travel thousands of miles after breeding in the alpine to mild weather wintering grounds. The Western Monarch Trail will provide education, outreach, and advocacy to support the butterflies as they undertake this phenomenal annual journey. Visit the Western Monarch Trail website to learn more. If you’re traveling the Highway 1 Discovery Route this winter and wish to unlock another hidden secret, be sure to visit one of the many butterfly habitats.
MONARCH BUTTERFLY GROVES ON HIGHWAY 1
Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove
VISIT THE GROVE
VISIT THE GROVE
Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove
The Western Monarch Trail, a multi-agency collaboration, will mark the migration route from the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and Nevada, as well as California. Signs will feature information about the western monarch life cycle, the larvae’s dependence on native milkweed, and its migration patterns from the alpine meadows where it breeds to the wintering grounds along the central California coast. The signage will also provide up-to-date data about the western monarch population, calculated at just one percent of its historical number.
The Western Monarch Trail will expand these educational opportunities and lead to greater conservation of western monarch habitat. In addition to new signs, the first of which will be installed in the Pismo Grove, funds will support educational and outreach programs throughout the western monarch's migration route. This October, the Butterfly Ball was held in San Luis Obispo to launch this exciting new project. The event raised $13,000. You can make personal contributions at the Western Monarch Trail website.