Migrating monarchs and the Papalotzin expedition
Sept, 15, 2006

Art opening and talk, Monarchs and the Papalotzin expedition Thursday, September 21, 7:30pm, Galería Le Noir, Jesús 2-A

Galería Le Noir is proud to present at its next exhibit a collection of photographs taken from an incredible expedition to follow the migration of the monarch butterflies, including a talk by the journey’s leader, Vico Gutierrez. 

As fall arrives, monarch butterflies begin their long journey south from southern Canada and the northern US to spend winter under the protection of the pine forests and oyamel trees in the state of Michoacán and nearby areas in the mountains of central Mexico.

Each year, millions of butterflies travel almost 5,000 kilometers south to congregate for five months in the high forests of Mexico. The persistence of this migratory phenomenon depends on the conservation of the diverse habitats along the migratory route.

Francisco (“Vico”) Gutierrez, an ultralight aircraft pilot, follows the migrating butterflies from Canada to Mexico. He has christened his craft, which is decorated like a monarch butterfly, “Papaloztin,” from the Nahuatl, or original Aztec, language (papalotl = butterfly, and tzin = royal, thus “royal butterfly”). The main purpose of this incredible trip is to raise consciousness about the challenges that the monarch butterfly encounters during its spectacular migration to Mexico and back.

Gutierrez was born in Mexico City and was a pioneer in the navigation of hang gliders, paragliders and ultralight aircraft (he started flying at age 13). He has been a member of the national hang gliding team and has participated in more than 10 world championships. Currently, he is a hang gliding and ultralight flying instructor in Valle de Bravo, in the state of Mexico, and he also shoots footage from his ultralight plane for commercials, documentaries and films. He lives close to the monarch colonies, and his love of flying and adventure, together with his respect for these amazing creatures, have coalesced in the Papalotzin Project.

The Papalotzin Project is supported by the WWF Alliance, Telcel and the Michoacán state government. The WWF, whose mission is the conservation of nature, gives technical and financial support to protect ecosystems and species. Telcel is a leading company in this area and recognizes the importance of conservation and sustainable practices to preserve natural resources.



Papalotzin expedition diaries

Papalotzin has reached its final destination, November 2, 2005

Both ultralight planes took off from the Saltillo airport, which was beautifully decorated by numerous clusters of monarch butterflies resting in the trees before the sun awakened them. They landed in Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, following a very complicated flight due to the turbulence.

The Papalotzin team gathered on land and our journey began, toward Real de Catorce, an impressive, semi-abandoned old mining city, between desert scrub and cacti, where we sighted a small number of monarchs flying at a high altitude.

We crossed the Ogarrio Tunnel that opens into the town of Real de Catorce, where we spent the night. The next day we went back to Matehuala to continue the journey.

On the way we found a field of zempazuchitl flowers, the typical flowers for the Day of the Dead in El Cedral, where we saw a lot of monarchs feeding.

After a very complicated flight, Papalotzin finally landed in a field in Pozas de Santana, San Luis Potosí, and then continued its flight, landing in Villa Hidalgo. There pilot Cristina Hatzner, Christian and Ananda said goodbye to Papalotzin. To all of them thanks for their presence on this journey; their energy and enthusiasm were remarkable for this project.

From Villa Hidalgo we continued the flight, landing at San Miguel de Allende airport, our hosts this time being the kind Veronica and the beautiful Ruiz Moller family. To all of them our deepest thanks.

From San Miguel de Allende, Papalotzin flew toward Peña de Bernal in the state of Querétaro, a famous monolithic crag. There the crew gathered and met Daniel Levy, webmaster for www.papalotzin.com, and his family.

After an interview with “Doña Tere” in the town of Bernal, who shared with us a beautiful poem about the monarch butterfly, and with Layla Levy, creator of the internet site www.animales-en-extincion.com and amazing enthusiast of environmental conservation, the Papalotzin took off from the highway toward the city of Celaya.

In Celaya we were supported by Alfonso Nieto and by the Gonzalez family. We would like to thank Álvaro and his wife, Maria Luisa, for their kindness. The team finally gathered in Tuxpan, Michoacán. We were honored by the presence of Canadian John Powers, “the Butterfly Man,” a specialist in butterflies, who gave his unconditional support to the Papalotzin Project from the beginning.

We finally gathered in the beautiful home known as “Casa Humboldt” in Tuxpan, Michoacán, thanks to the Office of Tourism of the Government of Michoacán, which sponsored our stay.

The whole team is finally together: Claudia Rosas, executive producer and cornerstone of the project; filmmaker Ricardo Padilla, who has supported the project from day one; José Cohen, coproducer; Gaetan Mariage, Thaib Cholac, Luis Miranda, Vico Gutierrez, Veronica, Ernesto Miranda, Andrew Donaldso, Gregory Allen, Eduardo Rendon and myself, Tania Guerrero.

On November 3, 2005, the Papalotzin will finally arrive at the Cerro de Las Papas in Angangueo, Michoacán. We are looking forward to a great event, which is not the end of the Papalotzin Project, but a new beginning in which we hope that all of the unified efforts put forth for this wonderful project will reap the benefit of the conservation of our dear monarch butterfly.


The last flight of the journey

Valle de Bravo, November 5, 2005

The Papalotzin took off from Morelia, piloted by Vico Gutierrez accompanied by his son, Nicolas Gutierrez. Alongside, in the ultralight “Aguila Azul,” flew his brother, paragliding champion Miguel Gutierrez and his son, Patricio Gutierrez Ruano. 

The panoramic flight went extremely well and was full of emotion. When the two ultralights landed, more than 30 people, relatives and friends, were waiting at the air strip. The event was organized by the partners of the Claude Terrain Club, among them the pilots Luis Cutler, Guillermo Stein and Fernando Gutierrez. Vico’s wife, Nane Wenhammar, had flown toward Michoacán with pilot Luis Cutler, and they joined both ultralights in midflight to arrive in Valle de Bravo together. 

Finally, the famous monarch Papalotzin hibernates in its sanctuary in Valle de Bravo, as the monarchs are still arriving in their Mexican forests.

This is a moment of reflection and consciousness. May the monarch butterflies become a symbol of environmental conservation. By taking care of the monarchs and their habitats throughout their migration, we will protect them for future generations to come. Also, all the species involved within their ecosystems will be protected and their forests will be conserved as well as the cultures that have given them life.

A new year will begin, and it is important to create an alternative plan in which all those people who have been touched by this project and its achievements will fight to live in harmony with and for nature.

Deep thanks to all friends of Papalotzin and the monarch butterfly, those who have made this extraordinary adventure possible and those who supported the journey and shared their knowledge and wisdom.

The arrival of the monarchs and Papalotzin November 3, 2005 From Eduardo Rendón, WWF México

As in ancient times, now is the time of the arrival of the dead souls for the Otomí and Mazahua cultures. It’s also the time when the monarch butterflies arrive, and with them the maize crops are harvested. Therefore, it is a time of prosperity, and the monarchs have arrived on time as they do each year, faithfully keeping their appointment with the winter in their forest sanctuaries in the states of México and Michoacán.

Today, people rejoice because the monarch butterflies bring richness to the region. Tourists from around the country and the entire world will bring with them benefits for all the forests’ owners. That’s why more than 800 people gather at the Llano de Las Papas in Angangueo, Michoacán, to welcome the monarch travelers that have just arrived from Canada and the United States.

But this time they didn’t arrive alone! They were accompanied throughout their journey by the big butterfly, hailed as Papalotzin! Papalotzin!

Yes! The Papalotzin, an ultralight plane dressed as a monarch butterfly, today fulfills the dream of a man, “Vico” Gutierrez, and his team. At the precise moment when the Papalotzin lands, I feel shivers down my spine, because the dream now has come true—the Papalotzin has flown with the monarchs through their journey.

For those of us who conceive of nature as our way of life—not only because we feed and breathe from her, but also because by taking care of her we can support our families—the arrival of the Papalotzin represents a challenge of life for humanity, because in this team of brave men and women who have decided to fight for this project lay all the hopes to succeed in such an endeavor that only nature has accomplished: the monarch butterfly’s migration.

This insect’s fragile appearance doesn’t hinder her from showing us, year after year, how to succeed in unimaginable quests and feats and giving us an example of how by combining our efforts we will be able to stop the wasting away of our planet, even reverse it, so that our children, their children, and so on until eternity can live in harmony with nature. 

The flight of the monarch was then emulated by “Vico” Gutierrez and his group of “warriors,” admirable representatives of the human race who not only managed to awaken respect for the migration of these butterflies but also made a mark in the books of history, as those who decided to lead and perform a movement for the safekeeping of the environment, which will surely allow for a new beginning of the relationship between humanity and the environment. 

But how did these Papalotzin humans achieve their feat? Well, the secret is that the members of the Papalotzin team are sensitive, sensible, loving and mostly passionate people who, even facing the weariness of a journey, managed to awaken all the other loving people who offered their homes and food, as they do for the monarchs when they are southbound.

For their committed and honest achievement, whose sole inspiration was their love for the monarch, I thank and dedicate my work to them, hoping that it will be a worthy gift to “Vico,” Tania, Luis, Greg, Andrew and Claudia, who have given me an example of strength and have renewed my motivation to keep fighting for the conservation of the monarch butterfly, the forests, and most of all the humans who populate this corner of the world.