See the tiny monarch caterpillar eating the milkweed flower? Monarch butterflies from eastern North America fly thousands of miles south to overwinter in sacred firs on mountains 62 miles northwest of Mexico City, in sanctuaries protected by the Mexican government. In the spring, these individuals will then fly to Texas to a milkweed patch to lay eggs, and four or five generations later, at this point next year, we will see this scene again near Philadelphia in our milkweed patch. They only eat milkweed. It serves them well! They use the toxic steroids (called cardenolides) of milkweed plants to taste horrible to predators, sometimes even causing illness. Please plant milkweed if you don’t already - you’ll help this endangered indigenous American butterfly continue to make its annual trip by creating a landing place - a sanctuary. #nobordersnowalls #sanctuary #monarch #mariposamonarca #monarchbutterfly #milkweed #cardenolides #monarchmigration #abyayala