Oak forest is one of the most important types of forests in Mexico, often serving as resting sites and habitat for monarch butterflies during their annual migration to the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Despite their ecological importance to monarch butterflies and to countless other plants and animals, oaks face many threats; these trees are slow-growing and commercially valuable. Throughout the region, oak forests are being cleared for urban development, coffee plantations, and grazing fields. Many rural populations in the region rely on oak trees as a source of fuel and charcoal, contributing to their decline.
In the oak and pine-oak forests near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico, the Arboretum’s Global Tree Conservation Program and the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak conducted research, ecosystem restoration work, and community outreach to conserve oak ecosystems and to highlight their importance to monarchs.
Community members also received training on how to identify oaks and other important plants in the area, how to propagate and cultivate these plants, and how to care for and monitor young trees after planting.
Partnering with three National Geographic Explorers, the program also worked to raise awareness of oak ecosystems and their importance for those living along the monarch butterfly’s migratory path through the Stories of the Monarch Flyway visual storytelling course and workshop series.
These efforts complement those of the USDA Forest Service by building capacity to survey, restore, and manage the oak forests closest to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and throughout the monarch flyway.
This strategy also offers sustainable livelihood alternatives to local residents, such as selling trees and other nontimber forest products, in addition to strengthening stewardship and conservation of oak ecosystems within the region.
