We know pollinators are precious.
And we know that, among pollinators, monarchs are particularly marvelous.
Not only are their delicate wings dressed in a daring, dashing fashion reminiscent of tiny sky tigers, they use those fierce little wings to migrate hundreds of miles each year.
Like I said, marvelous.
Photo by Jiuguang Wang via Flickr
“But have you ever seen what exactly millions of monarchs in Mexico looks like?” asks Treehugger’s Melissa Breyer.
Admittedly, few of us have actually witnessed this famous phenomenon. So, to bring the monarch’s marvelousness into focus, up close and personal, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg created a short film for all of us to, well, marvel at.
“I’ve seen photos; they’re lovely. But this short film, ‘Wings of Life,’ offers a glimpse into this phenomenon that is nothing short of magic,” Breyer shares. “[Monarchs] fill the sky like paper in a tickertape parade; clouds of confetti, orange and fluttering. They sleep on the branches of oyamel trees, sometimes in numbers so dense that they break the branches. And to see them all together, as shown in the film, is a thing of unforgettable beauty!”
See for yourself, and feel your heart take wing …
How beautiful! I remember learning about them in 2nd grade and we actually had one in a cocoon and waited for it to hatch! These butterflies are absolutely beautiful and I found it impossible to look away as I watched them move in the video. It’s crazy to think a mass amount of tiny monarchs can break tree branches, but it gives an idea of just how many there are. This would be a magical site to witness for myself.