Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

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Coordinates: 19°36′23″N 100°14′30″W / 19.60639°N 100.24167°W / 19.60639; -100.24167

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Mexico
Type	Natural
Criteria	vii
Reference	1290
Region**	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	2008  (32nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve is located mostly in the eastern part of the state of Michoacán with some being in the western part of the State of Mexico in the central Mexican highlands. The Reserve was created to protect the wintering habitat of the monarch butterfly and contains over 56,000 hectares of land.^[1]

As of the winter of 2007-2008, there were twelve major colonies or sanctuaries of monarch butterflies covering a total of 4.72 hectares of land wintering in Mexico, same as the winter before and up from the seven that existed in winter 2004-2005. Eight of these twelve are within the Biosphere. Four of these eight are open to the public. These are:

• Sierra Chincua - near the towns of Tlalpujahua and Angangueo in Michoacán.
• La Mesa - near San José del Rincón in the State of Mexico
• El Capulín - near Donato Guerra and San Juan Soconusco in the State of Mexico
• El Rosario - near Ocampo in Michoacán.

Other sanctuaries such as those near San José Villa de Allende and Ixtapan del Oro are not actively promoted for tourism because of the risk of harm to these butterfly colonies.^[2]

While the Biosphere still has problems with infrastructure, most notably with trash esp. around parking and merchant areas, a number of improvements have been recently made, esp. in the sanctuary of El Rosario. These include well-defined footpaths with security patrols and stone/or concrete steps in steep places to help against erosion. Horsepaths were also eliminated for erosion reasons.^[1]

During winter 2008-2009, there are plans to tag as many of the wintering butterflies as possible using very light self-stick tracers as to not impede their flight. The purpose of this is to determine the butterflies exact migration route as they fly back north to the U.S. and Canada in the spring.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Romo, Luis (April 2008). "Ultimas noticias de la Reserva a la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca". México Desconocido 374: 24–29. http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx. 
2. ^ Novo, Gerardo; Jorge de la Luz (2002). The State of Mexico. Mexico City: Ediciones Nueva Guia. pp. 88. ISBN 968 5437 26 2. 

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Mexico Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila · Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche · Historic Fortified Town of Campeche · Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco · Pre-Hispanic City of Chichén Itzá · Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes · Central University City Campus of the UNAM · Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl · Pre-Hispanic City of El Tajín · Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro · Historic Town of Guanajuato, and Adjacent Mines · Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara · Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California · Luis Barragán House and Studio · Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve · Historic Centres of Mexico City and Xochimilco · Historic Centre of Morelia · Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán · Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque · Historic Centre of Puebla · Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro · Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco · Protected town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco · Sian Ka'an · Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacán · Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan · Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal · Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino · Historic Centre of Zacatecas