SchoolsEstela RomeroDecember 10, 2020

"La Salud" Village

SchoolsEstela RomeroDecember 10, 2020

THE VISIT

This is now our next visit high, high up in the mountains towards “El Rosario” Sanctuary to visit “La Salud” village, which forests considered buffer areas protect the core overwintering spots to Monarchs at nearly 10 thousand feet elevation, the average Monarch Sanctuaries are located. Over 40 children, 10 Moms, a few grandmas and a few high school students attended the Symbolic Migration lesson on “the benefits of trees” this fabulous day. This is one of the most immediate neighboring villages right to the north-east to El Rosario Sanctuary. Its singular importance: a water source to Monarchs over their overwintering time at their Sanctuary. Here the voice of a leader grandma speaking: “Río Grande”, our largest creek nowadays in the area, and historically a river which used to provide water to the mining activity in Angangueo town for around 80 years until the mid 80’s last century, has always been main source of water to Monarch butterflies in the area; actually, short before their departure in March, an important part of the colony move only slightly downhill to just jump the border line between both “Ejidos” (“El Rosario” Ejido and “La Salud” Ejido) from their main overwintering spots in “El Rosario” and settle here doing their last “overwintering” couple of weeks at least, before their final and definite massive departure; that is why we consider we are an important part of the phenomenon and have sometimes wondered whether we should be considered an official extension of the Sanctuary itself, which we are not up to now; however, many, many visitors to the Sanctuary can access our spot and see how most of the colony settle in our pristine little forest and creek here, not having to climb up the top of the mountains of “El Rosario” Ejido anymore; we can do a really good living by this for a few weeks before the season ends, which we are so grateful to Monarchs and visitors…! --María Luisa, one of the grandmothers in the group stated--; “We believe that our beautiful Pine and Oyamel forest along our “Río Grande” river, besides the water creek is very important to Monarchs, since, as we tell our children, it is so warm by end February already, that they certainly find a much fresher spot here than up there in “El Rosario” areas, clustering in both Pine and Oyamel trees, not only in Oyamel trees which are definitely the dominant trees in “El Rosario” spot; the Symbolic Migration is such an extraordinary education for us young generations. I as a child in late elementary got my first Ambassador Monarchs and now my children do!; I feel I can better educate my little ones now about the treasure our forests are, since I remember having listened from the Journey North visits then, and now the Symbolic Migration so much about the importance of conserving nature!. --one of the youngest moms in the audience, Yadira, 25, said followed by all other young mothers in front of their own children. “These are the reasons why the Symbolic Migration is so pleased to be here today looking forward to contributing a tiny bit more to the importance of the conservation of your natural reserve, of your Oyamel forests as part of the buffer area to the Monarchs’ Biosphere Reserve, is vital for Monarchs and vital for you now and for your own children into the future” --Estela addressed both children and adults attending--. Going over our lesson was so much fun and learning confirming the names of our forest trees, our fruit trees, recognizing the so many benefits forests in general provide to the whole ecosystem, getting to know how unique and special Oyamel trees are to Monarchs. Moms receiving the book donation from “Monarchs Across Georgia” and the Monarch Butterfly Fund are the elementary school representative members of the committee at the school itself and momentary depositaries while the schools are open again. A whole morning seemed to just not to be enough to share and learn about the topic of trees… we all felt like a huge family at the end of our long session!. These are some of the many, many the bridges Monarchs, in these case through the Symbolic Migration today, build all over!