Each year, millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) make the journey from North America to Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains, flying thousands of miles to their winter home. The migration is one of nature’s most amazing phenomena. Stand amid the fir-covered mountains and witness this awe-inspiring spectacle firsthand as the monarchs flutter, dip, and swoop overhead. Pacific Horticulture hopes to travel with you to Mexico on February 7 – 12 next year, provided the pandemic allows. You’ll see countless butterflies roosting in the early morning, as well as in flight at midday, feeding on wildflowers, and drinking at streams.

This tour will be escorted by Pacific Horticulture Society Board Member Richard Hayden, who lives in Los Angeles and works for the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County where he is the Special Assistant to the President and Project Liaison engaged in the reimagining of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum and 11 acre landscape. He served as  the Garden Director for the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, a 2.5 acre public garden in Palo Alto, California from 2017 to 2019. He began his career in public horticulture as the Head Gardener for the Nature Gardens at the Natural History Museum of LAC after enjoying  a 25 year career as a Los Angeles based landscape designer.  He is strong proponent and communicator of resilient, organic garden practices including soil health, wildlife habitat, climate appropriate plants and water conservation. He has a BA in Theatre and Film from the University of Michigan, and a certificate in Horticulture and Garden Design from UCLA. Richard is also an ISA certified arborist.wildlife habitat gardens, the soil food web, and sustainable garden practices. He has dedicated his career to connecting people and nature through the stewardship of public gardens.

For complete itinerary and information visit https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/tours/mexico-monarch-migration/