The monarch butterfly migration has reached the states of Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas! Soon they will be at the state of Wisconsin.
The WWF-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance, in collaboration with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), announced the total forest area occupied by overwintering monarch colonies today.
What Can You Do to Help?
Regardless of short-term fluctuations, monarchs continue to face persistent stressors. Habitat loss across agricultural, urban, and transportation landscapes has reduced the availability of breeding and migratory resources. Extreme weather events, changing climate conditions, and pesticide exposure further affect survival and reproductive success. Monarchs are also affected by predators, parasites, and disease, which can vary regionally and annually. (Monarch Joint Ventures)
Reference The Amazing Monarch Migration. Monarchs need milkweed in the spring – and during the summer and fall migration, the adults need nectar. They use asters, meadow blazingstar, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, bee balm, and other native flowers (as well as some non-native ones). The efforts to create, maintain, enhance, and protect habitat for monarchs and pollinators can make a difference. Creating and maintaining habitat, educating others, contributing data to citizen-science programs, and advocating for the protection of wild spaces are things we all can do.
Read: Dr. Karen Oberhauser of Journey North wrote “conditions during the 2025 breeding season were more favorable for monarchs than in 2024.”
The image on the Home page shows monarchs in the eastern U.S. population had a good summer in 2025 in part because of good habitat conditions in Wisconsin and other breeding grounds. Photo by Jack Silverberg courtesy of WDNR.
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