Samm Wehman Epstein recently got to experience the trip of a lifetime. Samm has always had a strong passion for butterflies, especially monarchs. So, when Dr. Thomas Emmel invited her to join Holbrook’s trip that he was leading to Mihoacan, Mexico to see the overwintering monarchs, she gladly and excitedly accepted the opportunity.

The monarchs in Mexico are part of a methuselah generation that live much longer than their parents and grandparents. These individuals roosting and flying in this overwintering population migrate to Mexico in the fall from the United States and Canada and then return back north in the spring, laying eggs and creating future generations that continue the migration upwards the rest of the way, according to Samm.

“The best I can describe the experience as is watching an entire group of trees and branches just covered in clusters of monarchs resembling tons of dead tree leaves seem to be shaken inside a snow globe and suddenly bursts of monarchs covered the sky and forest in a thick layer of orange. As they landed on branches it was literally like a blizzard, with huge orange snowflakes dotting everything,” Samm said.

Samm did a wonderful job of painting a vivid picture of the experience — if you’re inspired to witness the migration of the monarchs for yourself, Holbrook is offering another expedition to Mexico in February 2017. If you would like to learn more about this trip, visit our website at holbrook.travel/mxmonarchs17.

If you want to read more about how incredible these monarchs in Mexico truly are, check out the rest of Samm’s blog!