When I was a boy in St. Louis, the Monarchs would fly through. They covered the whole neighborhood! It was really awesome. I learned that they did a circuit and wintered in Mexico in one certain location. It truly would be insanely criminal to cut down that small area. Surely the Mexican govt can keep a small sanctuary there?
You might like this place - it’s only about a 25 minute drive from our house. In fact, the entire park is something else, and I feel very guilty for not taking more advantange of it:
https://www.callawaygardens.com/the-gardens/places-to-explore/day-butterfly-center/
How long ago?