2016 Monarch Butterfly Release

On September 13, 2016, the El Valor community gathered to release more than 100 monarch butterflies raised by children, adults with disabilities, families, and staff in partnership with Mike Rizo at the US Forest Service.

El Valor uses the monarch as a STEAM teaching tool. The creature is also culturally significant for the Latino populations El Valor serves. Monarchs migrate from Canada and the United States to the state of Michoacan in Mexico, where they arrive in time for Dia de los Muertos celebrations in late October and early November. El Valor’s butterflies have been tagged with location tracking stickers so that students can study the paths they take. This mysterious biological phenomenon is in danger due to the monarch’s shrinking North American habitat and food sources. El Valor’s annual Monarch butterfly release raises awareness of this issue and provides ways for community members to take part in restoring Monarch habitats.