Santa Cruz beach holds festival to welcome back monarchs

On October 13th, Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz came alive with music, food, skits and other celebrations. Why? At this time every year, monarch butterflies return to California.

For Californians, this grand spectacle is worth celebrating. At Natural Bridges State Beach, the only State Monarch Preserve in California, thousands of these vibrant butterflies arrive from a long migration to roost and enjoy their coastal winter home. From its wind shelter to its sunlight filtering to its convenient source of food, it’s no wonder that these monarchs continue to settle in the area’s eucalyptus groves year after year. 

As the Santa Cruz skies become sprinkled with more orange and black, the community gets to rejoice. The free Monarch Day event provided fun for all ages and included “activities about the monarchs, monarch viewing in the grove, crafts, parade, games, story time, live music with three bands, food for sale, hand-cranked ice cream, monarch superhero skit ending in free cake, butterfly gardening tips and much more!” As can be seen in this Instagram video, it’s a fun event.

As we celebrate the annual return of these magnificent creatures, it is critical that we also understand the delicate balance required for these monarchs to arrive home each winter. Monarch populations have been immensely threatened, in large part due to the obstruction, destruction and degradation of crucial stops on their migration routes. 

The good news is that there are ways to help. On an individual level, we can plant native milkweed gardens. On a federal level, congress can pass bills like the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act.

With the right action, celebrations like this one in Santa Cruz will continue to be enjoyed, year after year.