The Monarch Ultra is proud to announce that we are collecting donations for Nación Verde, a non-profit environmental organization in Mexico that works in several areas towards conservation, greening schoolyards, and protection of our environment. They are playing a vital role in protecting habitat for monarch butterflies and other forest dwellers at Reserva de la Biosfera de la Mariposa Monarca.
Why Nación Verde? Tree planting This year, Nación Verde is planning to plant 100,000 oyamel trees along 100 hectares. The oyamel forests house the appropriate conditions that allow the annual hibernation of the monarch butterfly, giving them protection against strong winds, rain and even snowfall or hailstorms. They also serve as water collectors, and provide dew retention, which allows the monarch butterfly to hydrate without the need to waste energy flying in search of water. The oyamel are the main tree where monarchs use at home during the winter months.
Overall, planting trees is beneficial for the environment because it helps to fight climate change, minimize soil erosion, promote healthy forest and biodiversity, and helps sequester carbon dioxide.
Employment When carrying out reforestation, local residents are hired. This allow people to fight poverty and guaranteed that the family remains together, since the fathers or the mothers do not have to migrate to other cities in search of employment.
One of the main problems that affect Cerro Pelón is the lack of employment for the people who live nearby, which leads to clandestine logging, causing deforestation and habitat loss not only for the monarch butterfly, but also for the forest inhabited by other species such as squirrels, rabbits, opossums, coyotes and many different birds. Without these forests, monarchs won’t have a place to spend winters. This could be the final blow for the survival of this species.
Gender Equality In the reforestations organized by Nación Verde, women are also hired for planting activities. This organization encourage communities to allow women to participate in conservation activities.
What’s threatening Cerro Pelón and the monarch sanctuary?
The forest is shrinking every year, therefore is important to continue with the production of fir and pine plants and nurseries to have an effective reforestation program. These nurseries need trained personnel to manage the facilities and grown fir and pine before they get planted in the reserve.
With unemployment force locals to cut the forest, there’s a need to increase tourism in the area and involve locals and indigenous communities to protect the forest and the monarch butterflies. The mayor of Zitácuaro alongside with Nacion Verde are working to provide employment, regenerate and protect the forest reserve, and raise awareness among the communities. How much money is needed to cover the expenses (seeds, transport, personnel)?
Reforestation is not only planting trees, it’s a series of activities required to properly plan oyamels and guarantee its success, such as the preparation and cleaning of the land, transportation of the plant, and the personnel to carry out the plantation. All this series of activities requires $2,500,000.00 Mexican pesos to meet the objective. That’s the equivalent of US$137,000.
With your support we can help Nación Verde achieve its goal and both, monarchs and local communities will experience tremendous benefit from this project.
