The second installment of 2023 is “Monarch Butterfly” Inspired by the grandeur of these migratory butterflies that blur borders by traversing the most evolved migratory pattern of all known species of their kind: they fly up to 2,500 miles (more than 4,000 km) from the United States and Canada, where they reproduce, to the forests of central Mexico, where they hibernate.
For Mexicans, the belief is that on their wings travel the spirits of ancestors who transcend, since their arrival in the Michoacán forests coincides with the dates of the Day of the Dead celebration.
Its life stages remind us of the transformation from a small egg, through the caterpillar, which weaves its chrysalis to finally emerge from it as the beautiful winged being that it is.
But this great migration is under threat. Climate change, both in the overwintering areas of Mexico and the summer breeding areas in the United States, is having a considerable impact on the monarch migration. Deforestation in Mexican forests, along with the conversion of grasslands to cropland, the use of herbicides and pesticides, and the decline of milkweed—the only plant on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs along their migratory routes in the United States—are all factors that combine to create a perfect storm for these tiny creatures.
This is why we continue our partnership with Paraíso Colibrí Vivero, a pioneering nursery in the reproduction of native Mexican flora species, delivering seeds of Asclepias Curassavica - the host plant of the monarchs - with each piece of jewelry.
We also have a special illustration by Gabriela Garcia Mariscal that you can purchase as a print or on a handkerchief.
