STONINGTON PENINSULA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Right now, monarch butterflies are visiting the U.P. as part of their annual migration down south.
Every August, monarch butterflies begin their flight to Mexico. Many make a pit stop at the Stonington Peninsula.
“They get funneled in down the peninsula with the north winds,” explained Opal Hoffmann, a volunteer with the Monarch Project. “From here, they will leave and they will get to Door County. It’s the shortest distance across the lake if they get funneled down here.”
Peninsula Point provides a safe place for the monarchs to rest and refuel before heading out over the water.
“If it’s sunny and warm, you can find them all over,” Hoffmann said. “They’ll be hanging out in the bushes with their wings open; they’ll be feeding on some of the wildflowers and native plants. In the evening, they’ll start flocking to trees, and then they close up and they will roost for the night.”
The Monarch Project has been tracking and studying the migration for decades. In that time, volunteers have noticed both patterns and changes. Some years, thousands of monarchs visit the area. Hoffmann says the numbers were much lower last year.
“I want to say it was under 1,500, and the year before that was as well,” she said. “This year, we may have already met that number. We had 200 – 250 every day since August 16th. As far as where they go, there’s a lot of variables. There’s talk about the Canadian wildfires up there. Winds and weather play a big part in where they end up.”
Overall, monarch populations are on the decline. However, there are ways that humans can make a difference.
“We do see a lot of deformed monarchs from pesticide use, so that is something to consider,” said Hoffmann. “Planting more native plants and more milkweed will definitely help.”
Even though destinations and numbers can fluctuate, the migration cycle always continues.
“In the spring, they will start mating and returning north,” Hoffmann said. “They start laying their eggs until they pass, and then that group will take over and continue the journey. Then it might reach the third generation by the time they get back up here.”
Due to rain and high southwest winds, it was difficult to spot monarchs on Wednesday morning. When the weather cleared up just a few hours later, Monarch Project volunteers reported seeing a couple hundred.
Hoffmann says visitors have until roughly the third week of September to catch the monarch butterflies before they’ve all left for Door County.
“It really is amazing,” she said. “Some people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this. It took me many years to catch it. We are very fortunate to have it in our own backyard.”
On Thursday, September 4, U.P. Wild will host its annual Blessing of the Monarchs, where people gather to pray for and celebrate the butterflies as they prepare for the rest of their journey. The event begins at 5 p.m., and more information can be found by clicking here.
Peninsula Point is located at 3722 County 513 T Road.
