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BUTTERFLIES I: CHINCHUA

The views from the trail were magnificent, as we headed up to the pine forest that surrounds the sanctuary

    Only this small request marked our entrance into the reserve

We first noticed the brilliant purple wildflowers, and then, little by little, the orange of the butterflies

After the ride, it was about a 20-minute walk to the grove of oyamel firs, the trees in which the butterflies spend the winter

At first, we saw only a few of them--can you spot the one in this picture? (Put your mouse over the picture.)

Then suddenly the trees were covered with small orange dots

Deeper in the grove the leaves and branches were thickly covered with monarchs, sometimes to the point that it looked as though the branches would break under their weight.

Suddenly, for no reason that we could see, a whole group of butterflies would take wing at once, filling the air with orange flashes

Others settled on leaves and flowers, by the few or by the dozen, often only for a moment or two

Since everyone in the group was very quiet, we could get quite close to the butterflies before they flew off.

One of our youngest travelers, Ian, was delighted to get so close to a living wild thing.

After we returned to the starting point, we had some time to look around the village where the Ejidos (indigenous populations) live.  One key to preserving the butterfly habitat is to convince them that they can improve their standard of living from tourism rather than from cutting down the trees on which the butterflies depend.  ECOLIFE Foundation builds high-efficiency stoves and plants trees to combat deforestation.

We stopped to have quesadillas made on a new stove provided by ECOLIFE Foundation.  These stoves are designed to reduce the use of fuelwood from the forest while allowing the Ejidos to cook in their traditional manner. They are also safer for the children than open fires and they vent the smoke outside to reduce health problems.

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