MBF Supports Environmental Education Workshops

 (January 2012) MBF carried out environmental education and guide training workshops with local community members in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve at the beginning of this 2011-2012 overwintering season. The workshops focused on monarch butterfly biology and conservation efforts to protect the butterfly’s overwintering habitat. Six workshops were held in the states of Mexico and Michoacan, and each workshop lasted three days. Eneida Montesinos lead the workshops with the with the support from staff at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexican Park Service). The workshops began on November 11th 2011 in the Ejido of Capulin and ended on November 30th 2011 in the Ejido La Mesa. A total of 139 people attended the workshops and were presented with a wide variety of information concerning the conservation effort. Videos and movies were screened and the audience made crafts, played bingo, drew maps, and participated in activities which helped combine learning with fun. Also, many participants are now trained in the monitoring of monarch butterflies.

These workshops have been gaining importance in the region because they have helped develop a better understanding of the migration and overwintering of monarchs, raising awareness among residents on conservation of the overwintering habitat. This has facilitated improved communication of information between locals and visitors, and has built trust with non profits such as MBF. All of which contributes towards the effort of eventually providing additional important activities in the region such as monitoring. In the future, both authorities as well as Ejidos are considering making participation in the workshops mandatory in order to obtain entry permits to the sanctuaries. This project was made possible with support from Healthy Planet.