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that gladden the heart, excite the imagination, and instruct the young." --John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, Chapter 38. |
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For
much more information on Monarch Butterfles, visit the Pacific Grove Monarch Conservancy webpages. ![]() |
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In recent years, the Monarchs have gathered at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. In 2011, a few (about 70 in early December 2011) returned to Washington Park. To get to the Monarch Grove
Sanctuary, take Highway 68 north into Pacific
Grove. Highway 68 is also called the Holman Highway
and further down, Forest Avenue. Be careful to
stay over to the right after you pass David,
and go straight down Forest Avenue into town. Don't
follow 68 where it turns left past the high school;
this will get you to the beach but not the
butterflies. Make a left turn at the stop sign at
Lighthouse Avenue. Follow Lighthouse Avenue
through downtown, and turn left at Ridge Road.
![]() Visitors gather around a docent at Pacific Grove's Monarch Sanctuary on Ridge Road. |
2011-12 MONARCH GROVE SANCTUARY
UPDATE November 19, 2012:
May 2012:
February 2012:
October: Brokaw
Hall has been demolished, and a new trail has been
cut next to its footprint.
![]() Brokaw Hall on March 31, 2011. It has since been demolished by its owner, the City of Pacific Grove.. |
2010-11 MONARCH GROVE SANCTUARY UPDATE Local Monarch butterfly enthusiasts gathered donations and installed dozens of temporary potted trees to mitigate the 2009 tree trimming. As a result, the Monarchs that arrived in Fall 2010 had a suitable microclimate to remain into the overwintering season. The 2010 population peaked at over
6,200 in early December, though cold, windy conditions
have reduced the numbers to about 3,500 at the end of
the year. In July 2011, the City of Pacific
Grove demolished the 97-year-old cabin known as Brokaw
Hall. This city-owned historic landmark may have
served as a wind break in the larger sanctuary
ecosystem. Time will tell whether this empty hole will
affect the monarchs' roosting spots. The demolition
was done without a CEQA (California Environmental
Quality Act) report. |
2009-10 MONARCH GROVE SANCTUARY UPDATE Following a very severe pruning of the Monarchs' favorite spot -- an amphitheater of Eucalyptus trees near the south end of the Monarch Grove Sanctuary -- in late September/early October the Monarchs are in record-breaking low numbers. Estimates in early to mid-November vary from 5 to 750, at a time that typically sees tens of thousands clustering. On December 5 2009, 989 Monarchs were counted in the Sanctuary. On December 11, 2009, there were 635. By the end of December, there were about 300, and in the first week of January, less than 10 were counted. Read a detailed report about the causes for this failure of Pacific Grove City stewardship of the Monarch Grove (in pdf format). |
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In October, Monarch Butterflies begin arriving in Pacific Grove--the end of a long trek from as far as the Canadian Rockies and southern Alaska. They migrate here to escape the rigors of the northern winters. Local school children have a parade in early October to honor the returning insects. By Thanksgiving, most of the Monarchs have arrived and settled in. The butterflies attach themselves to trees in huge clusters, and in chilly or damp weather they fold part of their wings and appear like clumps of dead leaves. ![]() A clump of Monarchs in the trees at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary. Optimal viewing for activity is between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on a sunny day. They overwinter until February or March, when the mating season takes place. Then they leave. The number of overwintering Monarchs and the time of their arrival and departure each year varies. |
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Page
contents and design copyright 2000 - 2012 by Esther
Trosow. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, photographs are by Esther Trosow. ![]() Last updated November 19, 2012. |