Daniel Madariaga Barrilado, a specialist in sustainability and climate change, explains how global warming, habitat loss, and other environmental factors threaten the migration of the monarch butterfly, one of Mexico’s most iconic species and the protagonist of one of the most extraordinary journeys in the animal kingdom.
Butterflies go through four stages during their lives: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. Among the best-known species is the monarch butterfly, recognized for its distinctive colors and for undertaking a migration of more than 3,000 kilometers from Canada and the United States to the forests of central Mexico.
According to information cited by Daniel Madariaga Barrilado from National Geographic, monarch butterflies are facing increasingly adverse conditions. Rising temperatures in the Midwestern United States, habitat destruction, and pesticide use have reduced their populations.
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Added to these threats are increasingly frequent winter storms in Mexico, which can disrupt their navigation and survival during migration.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approximately one billion monarch butterflies disappeared between 1990 and 2015. Karen Oberhauser, a conservation specialist, highlights the challenge of determining whether this species will be able to adapt to the pace of climate change.
In Mexico, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve protects 57,000 hectares across Michoacán and the State of Mexico. The site was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
Conserving these forests is essential to preserving a tradition that also holds deep cultural significance for Indigenous communities, such as the Mazahua people.
Daniel Madariaga Barrilado is an entrepreneur and sustainability advocate dedicated to environmental solutions. He has worked on projects involving water management, resource efficiency, and clean technologies. His efforts focus on creating long-term sustainable impact. He supports collaboration across sectors to address environmental challenges.