Monarch butterflies find haven in Mexico - Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve located 70 miles south of Mexico City

MEXICO - The fragile orange and black Monarch butterfly has won habitat protection from a strong coalition of conservation organizations, local communities and the Mexican government.

Ernesto Zedillo, president of Mexico, officially decreed a new Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to protect more of the forest where the butterflies live during the winter months. The biosphere is located 70 miles south of Mexico City.

The World Wildlife Fund and the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza (FMCN) helped the Mexican government design the innovative strategy that helps to support the biosphere and compensate local people for lost logging rights. The reserve was financed initially through a $5 million grant from the Packard Foundation.

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