Last week, at the entrance to Rancho Vía Orgánica on the El Tigre Road, a sunset hiker paused in awe before one of nature's most moving sights — a swirling cluster of thousands of Monarch butterflies resting upon a towering eucalyptus tree. Their delicate orange wings shimmered in the fading light as they prepared to continue their ancient southward pilgrimage toward the winter sanctuaries of Michoacán.
For the hiker, it was a rare and profoundly spiritual connection — a moment of stillness and wonder in the presence of the miraculous Monarchs. To bear witness to such a gathering, according to Dr. Pablo Jaramillo, North America Pollinator Award recipient, is considered a remarkable sighting outside the protected sanctuaries of central Mexico.
Each year, as autumn's warmth lingers and the highland skies turn amber, San Miguel de Allende becomes a resting point on this sacred migration. From the northern forests of Canada and the United States, these fragile voyagers navigate thousands of miles, guided by an unseen wisdom written in their wings. They pass through our valleys and gardens — over La Joyita, Rancho Vía Orgánica, and the surrounding hills — as if blessing the land with beauty and renewal.
Yet this timeless journey grows more perilous each year. The Monarch population has declined dramatically due to deforestation in their winter sanctuaries, pesticide use across their migratory routes, and the disappearance of milkweed — the only plant their caterpillars can eat. Climate instability adds further stress, disrupting their delicate rhythms of migration and reproduction. Once a sky filled with orange, now only a fraction remains.
Dr. Jaramillo, whose ongoing research follows the Monarch's full migration across North America, warns that corrupted and chemically tainted water sources within U.S. and Canadian agricultural regions are now contributing to the unfolding demise of this delicate species. His work will be the focus of a forthcoming article exploring this urgent environmental crisis and what must be done to restore the Monarch's pathway of life.
To witness their passing is to feel both wonder and responsibility. Monarchs embody transformation and endurance, yet their survival now depends on the care and awareness of humanity. In the ancestral traditions of Mexico, they are seen as returning souls visiting during Día de los Muertos — a reminder that life and love are sacred and fragile, deserving protection.
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Rancho Vía Orgánica is an organic regenerative ranch located in the Jalpa Valley just 15 minutes from the Luciérnaga Mall. Open every day, it is a working ranch, seed bank, restaurant, education center, and home to the Billion Agave Project.
Roger D. Jones has been living in San Miguel for 43 years, married to Rosana Alvarez, a local woman and a co-founder of Vía Orgánica, for 40 of those. Roger is a community organizer, who is happily living The Mexican Dream.
Roger and his guests at Casa Angelitos often watch Monarchs drift in the November light
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