It's no secret the central coast is a hot spot for tourists,
especially in the summer. But there's a group that chooses winter to
make it's trek here. What's a bit shocking is how many of them there
are. And their migration here is another reason there's no place like
home.
This really is one of those "right in our own backyard" wonders.
Every winter, a small eucalyptus grove off highway one in Pismo Beach
becomes a magnificent haven for some of the most beautiful butterflies
anywhere. "A lot of time, they'll look up into the trees and
you really can't see. It looks like leaves" says Docent Terri Jackson.
"And then they'll look through the telescopes and say 'Oh my goodness!
I've never seen anything like it.'"
If you've heard of it, but never stopped to check it out, you
should. Jordan Elkins works for State Parks and says the Pismo Grover
plays host to the largest congregation of Monarch butterflies in the
United States.
From the end of October, until late February or mid-March, you'll
find tens of thousands of them hanging out here for protection from the
winter elements elsewhere. "So they come down, they hang out in the
trees, they go into a semi-hibernation called t." says Elkins. "They'll
sleep during the night, and hang out during the day, get warm."
Their numbers vary year to year, but there are always enough to leave
you in awe. Elkins says in 1991 there were 230-thousand Monarchs
hanging in the grove through winter. Over the last five years, there
has been an average of 25-thousand each winter.
While Monarchs typically only live a few weeks, the variety that
camps out here live six to nine months due to a unique fat storing
system. But do the math and even the ones that leave in March, will
never return.
So consider making a stop in the coming weeks to say so-long. Your
kids will feel like they've walked into a fairy tale. Time it right,
and you'll likely also find this place pretty magical. Even docents
like Jackson, who see it daily year after year say they're still in aw
by the beauty of this little corner of the central coast. "Sometimes
when the sun hits a cluster, all the butterflies will start flying at
once, and it's like an explosion of gold. I'm still impressed by it."
