Poetry. Monarchs are the most iconic of the North American butterflies and the only butterfly that migrates. Every fall, Monarchs travel to a winter home among the oyamel firs in Mexico, a journey of over 2,000 miles. This annual migration is threatened, however, by pesticides, climate change, and land development. Their numbers have plummeted by 80% in the last 20 years. Naturalists and citizen scientists (and poets ) are working to preserve this migration by increasing awareness of the Monarch's life cycle and preserving the habitat needed for its survival. These poems explore the myths and traditions associated with Monarch butterflies, while following their extraordinary journey from egg to caterpillar, to chrysalis and butterfly.