It’s that wonderful time of year once again: the migratory return of the Western Monarch Butterflies to the Central Coast’s Pismo Beach! Plan your visit, take advantage of Pismo’s Winter Lodging Specials, and discover all of our exciting things to do. This is the perfect time to come visit our wintering Monarch Butterflies. These gorgeous and very important black, gold, red, yellow, and orange pollinators gather in the trees of the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, located just off Highway 1, a half mile south of Pismo Beach. Take a walk through the tall trees as these Monarch butterflies cling tightly to the leafy branches to rest from a long journey and keep warm. And best of all, of the San Luis Obispo County sites, our Butterfly Grove has the highest number of overwintering Monarch Butterflies at a count of 24,128! During your visit, remember to:

  • Watch for butterflies on the ground so you don’t step on them!
  • Stay on the designated paths.
  • Do not disturb the butterfly clusters.
  • Dispose of all litter in the proper receptacles.

What can we do to help increase numbers of these essential pollinators? Planting native milkweed would provide nectar (food), rest, and a place for Monarchs to lay their eggs. Your local garden store can help you determine the proper milkweed plant for your area. You can also visit livemonarch.com for more information and procure milkweed seeds. Kids will love to help plant and tend to the milkweed and enjoy watching the butterflies do their thing. Knowing they helped Monarch survival will feel great and be a service to nature!

You can learn to draw Monarchs to display and share, and discover more about Western Monarch Day, Monarch migration, and how you can contribute to saving the Monarchs. See you soon at the Monarch Butterfly Grove!

 Read more at: https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article271875332.html#storylink=cpy