Western Monarch Butterfly

The migratory western monarch populations travel to Ellwood Mesa in the fall and leave by spring. Their population has declined 95% since the 1980s, according to the city of Goleta.

Only 400 Western Monarch butterflies were counted at the Pismo Beach Grove during a recent survey—thousands less than usual. The low numbers in Pismo this year parallel a decline in monarchs around the state.

The central coast is home to the highest number of Western monarch butterflies, according to an annual count. But, the good news is tempered by the fact that the monarch butterfly’s population continues to decline across the United States.

Western monarch butterflies are back on the Central Coast for the winter and local experts are encouraged by their numbers.

Tomorrow, a new community event called the Mariposa Festival is honoring the migration of the Western Monarch Butterfly to the Central Coast. The festival is a collaboration between the Central Coast State Parks Association and the Latino Outreach Council to honor the Latino culture’s connection to the declining species.