Wonders of the Central Coast: Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary

Deep in the woods of Pacific Grove, you can find thousands of insects swarming in the trees. The thought alone is enough to make most people run for the hills. But this insect has a friendlier, more comforting reputation. We’re talking about the Monarch Butterfly and thousands call Pacific Grove home every winter.

“Many people come here to escape harsh winters, the Monarch Butterflies do the same thing,” explained Allison Watson, Community Outreach Program Manager at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.

The monarchs have been coming to Pacific Grove as long as anyone can remember, but now they’re protected in their very own sanctuary.

“This really started as the result of the citizens of Pacific Grove,” said Watson. “So, they decided they wanted to protect this area for Monarch Butterflies and because of kind of that initiative, Monarch Butterflies are still here today.”

The butterflies usually arrive in November and stay until February. The best time to view them is in the early afternoon on a sunny day. That’s when the Monarchs are more active and tend to fly around more, looking for food.

“As an adult butterfly, all they do is drink nectar. It doesn’t matter what plant it comes from as long as there’s a flower.”

And there are plenty of flowers to drink from.

One of the best parts of the sanctuary is that it is free to visitors of all ages.

“Where else can you see thousands of butterflies in one area? You know, there’s no net; it’s not a butterfly dome. They’re just here because this is the right environment for them.”

And did you know that you can actually help out the local Monarch population from your own back yard?

“If you have milkweed around the Central Coast and in the Salinas Valley, there’s a good chance that Monarch Butterflies will come your way and lay eggs and then you’re gonna have cute little yellow, black and white caterpillars on your plants,” explained Watson.

It’s an amazing thing to have so many of these beautiful creatures just clustered practically in someone’s back yard here in Pacific Grove. That makes it one of the Wonders of the Central Coast!

For more information on the Monarch Sanctuary including driving directions, head on over to this website: http://www.ci.pg.ca.us/index.aspx?page=251