Monarch butterflies roosting in a cottonwood tree.
The fall monarch migration, in which millions of butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles south to California and Mexico, is already underway in Wisconsin and Canada, with reports of the intrepid insects gathering in large groups to rest in trees or refuel in nectar-rich fields. And the spectacle will likely reach Chicago next week, according to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum chief curator Doug Taron.
Expect more monarchs in gardens, parks, forests and fields. And if you’re exploring green areas along Lake Michigan, keep an eye out for “roosts” where dozens — or even hundreds — of monarchs spend the night in a single tree.
Those who prefer monarchs-on-demand can attend butterfly festivals such as Flutter Into Fall on Sept. 12 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which will include a chance to see monarch tagging, in which tiny stickers are attached to the insects’ wings before release.
Local monarch fests include the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Migrating Monarchs Celebration in River Forest on Sept. 12, and Oak Lawn Park District’s Monarch Festival on Sept. 18.
The monarch population has been in decline for the past 20 years, spurring conservation efforts by both scientists and everyday people, who grow milkweed in gardens, fields and parkways. The butterflies, while not yet officially recognized as an endangered or threatened species, meet the criteria for inclusion, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
But millions of monarchs still make the annual trip south across the U.S. and Canada to California and Mexico, with thousands flying from Illinois to Michoacán, Mexico, a journey of abut 2,000 miles.
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