Grupo MILENIO, ALEATICA and CONANP make documentary film to promote the protection of the Monarch Butterfly

Grupo Milenio, ALEATICA and the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) join efforts to promote the conservation of the Monarch Butterfly in Mexico, in a feature film that tells the story of the species in the country.

The documentary Monarca, el espíritu del bosque. Un viaje de ida y vuelta is the first film production of Grupo Milenio. It was directed by Roberto López, Fanny Miranda and Miguel Galarza, with executive production by Paulo Correa.

In collaboration with CONANP, the production team traveled more than 900 kilometers of the national territory, revealing a route that is drawn by 7 states through various Protected Natural Areas, where the inhabitants are the key piece for the conservation of this species. It also had the support of ALEATICA, a transport infrastructure operator, as part of its environmental responsibility strategy.

ALEATICA supports initiatives that promote a better understanding of the fundamental role of Monarch butterflies in favor of the environment, which, in their journey through North America, inspire and evoke freedom in their flight, courage to travel thousands of kilometers, connect with our ancestors and subtly link nature, people and regions. This is the same philosophy that our company shares and enacts through its highways that connect individuals, communities and territories.

The Mexiquense Beltway supported the making of this documentary as part of its environmental responsibility strategy, which among other actions includes the Ruta Monarca project, which aims to contribute to increasing the population of the butterfly. The initiative involves communities that are close to sanctuaries in the State of Mexico, contributing to improve the quality of life of participating families.

Each year, thousands of Monarch butterflies travel more than 4,500 kilometers from the Great Lakes region of Canada to the forests of the Butterfly Biosphere Reserve Monarch Butterfiles in the sanctuaries of the State of Mexico and Michoacán, find a warm place during the winter and where they can reproduce before their return to Canadian lands.

Since the late nineties the number of butterflies began to decrease dramatically due to various factors such as the effects of climate change, the illegal logging of forests and the loss of Milkweed (plant from which the butterfly feeds and in which it deposits its eggs).

In 2000, a decree was published that establishes the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve as a Natural Protected Area (NPA), with an area of 56,259 hectares. In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated this reserve as a Natural World Heritage Site, recognizing the Outstanding Universal Value of hibernation areas where large concentrations of Monarch butterflies gather, as one of the most impressive manifestations of the phenomenon of migratory species on the planet.

Because of the great value it brings to the ecosystem, the filmmakers set out to follow the monarch’s journey and get to know the people and localities they are staying in to spread their migratory route, care for their habitat, reproduction and relationship that Mexicans have with this wonderful species in their journey, in addition to publicizing the actions in favor of their care.

Monarca, el espíritu del bosque. Un viaje de ida y vuelta is a beautiful film about hope, a portrait the unveils the route of the butterfly through the communities and will allow us to us meet the people of Mexico doing good things for their environment and for life.