Jaime Rojo's Image

Jaime Rojo (Spain) reveals the epic migration undertaken by monarch butterflies and the efforts being made to save them.

Cerro Pelón is an extinct volcanic massif in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

Viewed from a helicopter, avocado plantations cover its foothills.

Farming and commercial logging are spreading in this area. This has contributed to the loss of overwintering habitat for monarch butterflies. In the past 30 years, around 20% of their habitat has been lost.

What remains is more strictly protected. However, a smaller population is more vulnerable to extreme weather events. A winter storm in 2002 is thought to have killed tens of millions of butterflies.

Because of climate change, temperatures are rising and there are more droughts. This means the forests are likely to become less suitable for overwintering.