Rebuilding the Forests That Keep Monarchs Flying 

High in the mountains of central Mexico, a quiet transformation is taking place that is giving Monarch butterflies a fighting chance.

Between July and September 2025, Butterfly Pavilion, in collaboration with the Government of Mexico and local community partners, planted 100,000 native Oyamel fir trees across 32 reforestation sites in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. These newly restored forests will serve as safe winter havens for millions of Monarchs completing their incredible 3,000-mile migration from Canada and the northern United States.

“This reforestation marks a historic milestone for Monarch conservation,” says Shiran Hershcovich, Lepidopterist Senior Manager at Butterfly Pavilion. “This large-scale effort has united communities, scientists, and governments across borders to protect one of nature’s most extraordinary migrations. Every tree planted represents a promise to the Monarchs and to future generations.”

The Monarch’s epic journey is one of the world’s great natural wonders, and one of its most fragile. In just 30 years, Monarch populations have declined by nearly 80 percent due to climate change, deforestation, and habitat loss. Mexico’s Oyamel fir forests, which once covered vast mountain ranges, now remain on less than five percent of their original range. Butterfly Pavilion’s reforestation project, Preservation of Critical Overwintering Habitat for the Migratory Monarch Butterfly in Central Mexico, was made possible through a start-up grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Grant Fund, additional foundation and individual supporters, and implemented through collaboration with the Consulate General of Mexico in Denver, the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, and the essential work of the surrounding communities. 

Working alongside the local nonprofit Alternare and community landholders from six ejidos, teams replanted degraded forests in the Sierra El Campanario and Sierra Chincua sanctuaries. The effort also included the creation of 20 native pollinator gardens at nearby schools, inspiring young people to become stewards of the Monarch migration.

“Standing in these restored forests today, it’s clear that our collective efforts matter,” Hershcovich adds. “Each Oyamel fir we planted strengthens the delicate chain that keeps the Monarch migration alive. This work gives hope that with continued collaboration, this remarkable journey will endure.”The Monarch migration connects us all, and thanks to these restored forests, future generations will continue to witness this breathtaking symbol of resilience and renewal. Learn more about Butterfly Pavilion’s global conservation work at butterflies.org/monarch-butterfly-biosphere-reserve.