Accompanied by local conservationists and expert wildlife biologists, join us for a living lesson on the ecology of one of North America’s most iconic species: the monarch butterfly. Each year as winter gives way to spring, monarchs leave the safety of their wintering grounds in central Mexico and fly north, where they mate, lay eggs on milkweed plants, and die. The caterpillars hatch, form a chrysalis, and emerge as butterflies, ready to continue journeying north. It takes four or five generations before the butterflies arrive in the northeastern U.S. and Canada by summertime, each hatching, living, and dying in just six or seven weeks. Then, the last generation—a single “super generation” of butterflies—flies 3,000 miles back to Mexico, where they spend the winter in the very same forests inhabited by their great, great, great (you get the idea) grandparents just one year earlier. Nobody knows why the monarchs migrate this way, or how they know where to go—but one thing we do know is that the best place to witness this spectacle of nature is at the start of the journey, among the “sacred” oyamel fir trees of central Mexico. This trip is offered by Atlas Obscura. Once you've reserved your spot, our team will be in touch to help you prepare for the trip. Please note that flights to and from Mexico City are not included in the trip cost. This trip is limited to 14 travelers.