Why do these trees look orange? Monarch butterflies make these trees look orange! This is a monarch butterfly colony. A colony is a large group of monarch butterflies that cluster closely together. Notice the way the butterflies gather in one part of the forest. They do not spread out evenly and use all trees in the forest. This picture was taken from a helicopter by monarch scientist Dr. Lincoln Brower.

  • How many butterflies are in this picture? This week, find out how scientists estimate how many monarchs are in Mexico's colonies, and why the information is so important.


Photo: © Dr. Lincoln Brower

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