Our Monarchs from here in Loudoun have arrived in Mexico and are in their winter slumber. PBS put together a terrific film on the migration:
Follow the 2,000-mile migration of monarchs to a sanctuary in the highlands of Mexico. Airs tomorrow night – November 30, 2011 on PBS
Program Description
Orange-and-black wings fill the sky as NOVA charts one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena: the epic migration of monarch butterflies across North America. To capture a butterfly’s point of view, NOVA’s filmmakers used a helicopter, ultralight, and hot-air balloon for aerial views along the transcontinental route. This wondrous annual migration, which scientists are just beginning to fathom, is an endangered phenomenon that could dwindle to insignificance if the giant firs that the butterflies cling to during the winter disappear.
You can watch a preview of the film here – it’s fantastic: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/journey-butterflies.html