By Javier Gonzalez
Special to the PARADE
The fall season is a gorgeous time of year on South Padre Island. The weather is sweet, the light is soft, and fall flowering nectar plants all over the Island burst into full bloom in perfect synch with the passing of kaleidoscope of migrating Monarch butterflies on route to wintering sites in central Mexico via the coastal flyway.
This migration is one of the true spectacles of nature but unfortunately, is under threat from the effects of habitat loss, the overuse of pesticides and herbicides, and climate change according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which entered the migratory Monarch into their ‘Red List of Threatened Species’ as endangered in 2022.
The South Padre Island Birding & Alligator Sanctuary [SPIBNCAS], along with community volunteers, have planted Monarch Waystation gardens on SPIBNCAS property over the last few years to provide habitat, helping migratory Monarchs as they pass through South Padre Island.
Monarch butterflies will be migrating through the area from mid-October to mid-November. Hundreds will visit the Monarch Waystations at the SPIBNCAS as they pass through. All their favorite nectar plants are beginning to bloom after the recent rains, bringing the gardens to their most beautiful season of the year.
To celebrate the occasion, SPIBNCAS will be hosting its seventh annual HalloWings Monarch Migration Celebration with a mission to spread awareness about the plight of the Monarch butterfly and how the community can help by creating Monarch habitat at their private residences and by being mindful of practices that could negatively affect Monarchs and other pollinators. HalloWings is one of the center’s premier events of the year and a perfect opportunity for the community to visit the sanctuary.
In celebration of the Monarch butterfly migration, SPIBNCAS invites the public to enjoy a free admission day on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
SPIBNCAS Naturalists will lead a butterfly and native plant tour. The Rio Grande Valley Pollinator Project will present Monarchs, Milkweed and Migration. Local artists will perform live music and sandcastle sculpting. The center’s staff and volunteers will facilitate educational activities and crafts for children. Visitors will also enjoy local vendors and a native pollinator plant sale. For more information visit the center’s website at spibirding.org or Facebook page.
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