The Symbolic Monarch Migration project has a new home! Monarch Joint Venture is now proud to host the Symbolic Migration course on the Monarch NECTAR Hub, while continuing to collaborate closely with the team at Monarchs Across Georgia, who have coordinated this program since 2018.
Now in its 30th year, the Symbolic Monarch Migration mimics the migration of monarch butterflies to Mexico in the autumn and their return North in the spring. Students in the United States and Canada send life-sized paper butterflies (called ambassadors) in the fall to Mexico where Estela Romero delivers them to children in schools near the monarch’s overwintering habitat. In the spring, students in the U.S. and Canada receive different paper butterflies from participating groups, plus a letter from a student in Mexico. Students in the USA and Canada also create ambassador folders as gifts for students in Mexico.
This project helps build bridges between students in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. United by the wonder of monarch butterfly migration, youth learn about cooperative conservation, as well as monarch biology. The goal is to foster connections between children in these three countries to unite them in the future protection of the monarch’s magnificent migration.
The new course on the NECTAR Hub makes participation easier than ever. It includes complete instructions, helpful videos, and downloadable templates—perfect for classrooms, homeschool groups, zoos, aquariums, and youth programs. This program is ideal for grades K–8 and integrates art, science, geography, and social studies. The “course” serves as a registration platform, a central hub for information, and a space to share experiences with others. The core program processes of registration and participation are not changing.
Join us in continuing this beloved tradition of symbolic migration. Together, we can empower the next generation of conservationists and build lasting connections across borders.
🔗 Register for the Symbolic Monarch Migration: https://learn.monarchjointventure.org/courses/Symbolic-Monarch-Migration
📅 Deadline to mail your monarch: October 17, 2025
🎒Questions? Email us at learn@monarchjointventure.org