As late summer blooms emerge, flashes of orange and black butterflies dance among goldenrod, ironweed, asters and bonesets. Each year, we have the incredible privilege to see one of nature’s greatest migrations: the monarch butterfly’s 3,000-mile journey from the U.S. and Canada — through Northeast Ohio — to the mountain forests of central Mexico.
Monarchs traveling through Summit County in late August to mid-September rely on our restored prairies, meadows and even home gardens for nectar-rich rest stops along their journey. A few great spots in the Metro Parks to look for monarchs include Springfield Bog’s Prairie Trail, Liberty Park’s Bluebird Trail and the restored golf course turned floodplain meadow at Cascade Valley Metro Park’s Valley View Area.
The arrival of the monarchs in Mexico has coincided with the Día de los Muertos celebration for generations. In
this region, monarch butterflies have become a cultural icon, seen by many as spirits and symbols of ancestors returning.
Despite our collective admiration for monarch butterflies, they face threats from habitat loss and climate change. The species is currently listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and proposed for federal protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Summit Metro Parks supports monarchs through habitat restoration, naturalist-led programs and planting demonstration gardens. You can help by planting native milkweed, joining volunteer projects, reducing pesticide use, leaving eggs and caterpillars in the wild and participating in the Wild Back Yards program to protect native habitat at home.
Monarchs complete a multigenerational migration. Most monarchs traveling north in spring and summer only live around four weeks, but towards the end of the season when the days grow short and temperatures cool, monarchs lay eggs for a super generation that flies south and lives eight times longer than their parents and grandparents – up to eight months!
For more stories like this, check out Green Islands magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.