The Monarch Butterfly, as well as other species, undertake some of North America's most astonishing migrations on some of the most delicate wings every year. They traverse hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of miles, seeking food, places to breed, and shelter from the cold. Although their journeys may not be as loud and raucous as birds or whales, they are equally as astonishing, if not more so.

The monarch butterfly is by far the most well-known species for their migrations. Every autumn, millions of monarchs leave their summer homes in Canada and the northern United States to travel south. Many of them go to the mountains of Central Mexico, where they spend the cold winter months clustered in the branches of the forest. Monarchs flying to the west of the Rocky Mountains tend to go to coastal California. Monarch migrations are the most extraordinary, because not a single butterfly in the population completes the full cycle in a single year. Those monarchs that traveled thousands of miles and spent the winter in Mexico, have a substantially longer life (up to 10 months) than their summer siblings (2-4 weeks). They carry on the rest of the cycle, and the next generation of butterflies comes to the same migration route to spend their winter.

The migrations of the painted ladies in the Western United States are another remarkable migration. They are characterized by their flowing, dramatic movements of black and orange wings that are dictated by the growth of the delicate flowers in the desert and rainfall.

Experts are working on understanding how butterflies are able to achieve accuracy in their navigation. It has been suggested that Monarchs use a combination of the sun, internal biological clocks, and the magnetic field of the Earth. This means that they are able to reach familiar places that they have never encountered. This suggests how impressive the navigation of butterflies really is.

These migrations indicate the impact of certain environmental changes. Changes that include habitat loss, pesticides, drought, and climate changes are real threats that result in the lack of food. Monarchs exclusively eat milkweed, which is at risk, and so Monarchs and their caterpillars would also be at risk.

This can be remedied by planting native flowers that serve as a sustainable food source and garden milkweed while avoiding the use of chemicals. This improves the journey by serving as a source of food and a place to rest.

Butterflies of North America are perfect examples of how effective nature can be because they prove that you can be small and strong while also being beautiful.