“The world is the true classroom. The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with your own eyes.” -Jack Hanna

Eight days ago, we set off for Mexico with lots of luggage, but we also carried along goals, hopes, and expectations. Today we are returning home with our even-fuller luggage having achieved those goals, having fulfilled those hopes, and having exceeded even our highest expectations. 

This morning after breakfast, we sat outside under a bright blue sky in our group circle with our talking partners to debrief about our journey. We celebrated personal accomplishments and nodded vigorously when one person was able to vocalize another’s unspoken thoughts and emotions. Each of us had some collective highlights (we saw a whale breach!) and some personal take-aways. But we all have plans for ways to implement what we have learned into our classrooms, schools, community, and even our own backyards. There were moments of laughter and there were moments of tears. That’s usually the case when your colleagues become more than just colleagues- they become your friends. They become your people. When we get back to the Raleigh airport we will go our separate ways, but we will all be changed by our experiences in Mexico.

To all those who have followed our online journey, we thank you. To our loved ones who supported us leaving the nest to take this journey, we appreciate you and rejoice in returning home to you. To the sponsors who made this learning experience possible, we are grateful for you. To our guides and conservation partners in the United States and Mexico, we commend your efforts. And most of all, to the students reading this, we encourage you. We encourage you to get out there and be curious. We encourage you to ask questions and to seek answers. We encourage you to explore the near and the far. We encourage you to discover the great outdoors, to look up at the night sky, to gaze at birds in flight, to document what you see whether that be a small butterfly or an enormous whale.  Because there is much yet to be discovered and so much still be to understood. All of us, young and old, are students of the world. 

“Traveling– it leaves you speechless and turns you into a storyteller.” – Idn Buttata

Thank you for allowing us to tell our story.

On our last full day in Mexico, we left the coast in Puerto Vallarta in the dark, traveling up twisting and turning roads similar to what you might find in our own mountains back in North Carolina. Our goal was to observe military macaws and visit a botanical garden. On the way, we made a pit stop at an open air roadside bakery where the workers baked a large variety of Mexican pastries in a wood fired oven that was attached to the side of a mountain.  We all enjoyed the delectable pastries and washed them down with hot chocolate and coffee.

Arriving at the El Santuario de las Guacamayas (Military Macaw Sanctuary) we paused on the drive up the long winding dirt road to observe our first macaw in a distant tree and hear the first of many loud calls these birds make. 

At the top of the road, we met a member of the family who donated the land to the conservation efforts of the military macaw who tends to the sanctuary daily.  He told us all about the land, the animals that live there including jaguars and ocelots, and most importantly, the military macaws we came to see. 

Our first stop in search of the macaws was down a trail thought the familiar looking oak and pine habitat were we found a huge lookout structure towering up though the trees at the top of the ridge. We could see the first of the macaw houses hanging in the trees.  Military Macaws are a cavity nesting bird like our beloved eastern bluebird back in North Carolina. The macaw nesting boxes are about three feet tall and about 16 inches in diameter, much larger than the boxes we are used to seeing for our bluebirds.

It was early morning and the macaws were emerging from their houses and preening on the limbs of giant pine trees with long needles that resembled our longleaf pines in North Carolina. These large and very loud birds are primarily covered in bright green feathers but you can also see bright blue, yellow, and red  field marks if you look closely with binoculars.

The military macaw was one of the most beautiful birds we have observed of the 129 species of birds we counted on this trip.

Macaws weren’t the only birds sighted on today’s outing. We also saw a variety of other birds in the sanctuary included parakeets, hummingbirds, warblers, and woodpeckers as we were were led by our guides though the forest trails.  Michael, one of the guides, would make the calls of the ferruginous pygmy-owl and other birds to allow us a better view of the birds in the area, who would swarm towards the “predator.” He was so good at the calls that he would trick the Merlin app many of us use to identify bird calls into thinking it was a real bird!

We learned that the macaws regularly number around 70, but in the peak season, there can be upwards of about 110.  Many were observed at different spots by all the members of our group today, a good sign for this birds that is in need of protection.

For the ones who dared get close, on the way out of the sanctuary, we were able to see a tarantula. We were told she has lived in a particular rock with a little triangle cave for 8 years! 

Then, we traveled to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. It is one of the top rated in North America, and we could quickly see why.  We saw every plant you can imagine for the area and got a glimpse of even more birds that contributed to our large list, including the green jay and cinnamon hummingbird.

During our walk around the wild landscape of the garden we journeyed down to a boulder-filled river that if you were blindfolded and dropped you might think you were at Wilson Creek in the NC mountains.

Lunch was at the Hacienda de Oro on the property of the gardens. We had some AMAZING cuisine and enjoyed three special folk dances by Roberto, one of which was with a pair of machetes! He was then joined by one of our own, Mini, for his last dance. It was so fun to see them dance together and made both Roberto’s and Mini’s day.

When we neared the coast again we made a stop at a roadside lookout where we saw two huge rock islands with large flocks of pelicans,magnificent frigate birds, and blue footed bootees diving into the water for a meal and roosting on the islands. Jessie, another one of our fabulous guides spotted a manta ray in the water and we all enjoyed seeing another new species!

We are not so sure Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz really had it right when she said “there’s no place like home” with all the similarities to North Carolina we saw on this trip.

Tomorrow have one last meeting, pack up our belongings, and travel home.  Stay tuned for one more blog entry as we say good-bye to each other and this wonderful experience we were so fortunate to have and head home back to our families and schools.

We thought the butterflies couldn’t be topped, but Karel took us on an epic adventure today! We had breakfast at the hotel and then met at the Ecotours Vallarta office where we watched a video about the whales and the conservation efforts that are happening in Banderas Bay. We boarded the boat with our Capitán Rafa and off we went!

It didn’t take us long to see whale behaviors. One male humpback spent several minutes slapping his tail on the water surface trying to catch the attention of the surrounding females. After a few minutes of tail slapping and pectoral fin waving we witnessed the most sought after behavior…breaching!! To observe one of the largest mammals on Earth propel itself out of the water was truly magical. And we even have video and pictures to capture the memory.

After each whale encounter Karel would note the scientific data for research purposes- number of whales, time of day, and location. We also attempted to snap as many tail photos as possible to identify individual whales.

Our Captain spotted a solo male and we listened to him sing his song using a hydrophone. We also saw a young calf and its mother in the shallow water. The mother was letting the calf rest on her back. To identify the mothers we attempted to get a picture of her dorsal fin.

In total we saw about 25 whales. Other wildlife from the day were iguanas sunning in trees, an active dolphin pod, and a myriad of birds. We spent time birding and spotted a Roseate Spoonbill, Black Necked Stilts, Magnificent Frigatebirds and the Blue Footed Boobies. We even saw two crocodiles lounging in the sun. What a truly spectacular day soaking in the wonder of this area!

This morning was the last morning in Agua Blanca. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t savoring each final moment at this beautiful oasis.

The morning started with a 7:30 am hike to the caves and waterfall on the Agua Blanca property. From earlier posts, you may have noticed that Agua Blanca is a tropical paradise, but there is more to Agua Blanca than meets the eye. Not only are the mineral pools a relaxing pastime, but the mineral springs also have created some striking geological formations. On today’s hike, we explored the stalactite-like cliff wall that have been formed over thousands of years. Within the cliff walls are also caves that are home to fruit and insect-eating bats that we could see flitting around each morning and evening. From the cliff wall, we continued further down the trail to the waterfall where we all posed for photos.

Mini and Beverly checking out some tropical milkweed at the base of some of the interesting geological deposits from the mineral springs

The beautiful waterfall below our rooms at Agua Blanca

On an earlier bird walk, we noticed a monarch caterpillar hanging from a leaf. This morning, we found this chrysalis it had transformed into! This monarch is probably part of a resident population that lives in Mexico year-round, unlike its migratory cousins that we visited in the high elevation reserves.

After the hike, we had another delicious breakfast to help fuel our brains for the learning ahead. Our next adventure was a cooking class with the chef, Angelica, from Agua Blanca. Before getting our hands on the dough, Angelica explained the importance of each ingredient and how these tortillas differ from the ones we buy in the grocery stores at home. Angelica demonstrated with ease the process of making a traditional blue maize tortilla. She made the process look extremely quick and easy. Next, it was our turn, and this is where things got sticky (pun-intended). We learned that the pressure on the press, dropping the uncooked tortilla on to the hot cast-iron pan, and flipping of the tortilla with your fingers require finesse and precision. This experience caused us all to appreciate the delicious meals we have been enjoying throughout the trip all the more. We were all grateful that our own tortillas were not on today’s lunch menu.

Tortilla-making with Angelica

After lunch, it was time to load up and travel to our next location. We gave the hotel dog one last scratch behind the ears and hopped into the van to ride 2.5 hours towards the Toluca Airport for our flight to Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast. Stay tuned for another magical migration adventure.

A gorgeous sunset from the plane to Puerto Vallarta

Today, we headed to El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary, where 40% of the overwintering monarch population typically roosts. After arriving at El Rosario, we each mounted up on a caballo (horse) and headed up the mountain.

Although there was a hiking trail, we needed to ride horses because the Sanctuary is at nearly 11,000 ft. This is a huge increase in elevation from our hotel in Jungapeo, which is at 4,480 ft. As you increase in elevation, the amount of oxygen in the air decreases, and it is harder on the body to try and take in enough oxygen, thus the horses would help aid us in this journey. Our guides led us up a steep trail, sometimes at what seemed to be a 45 degree angle. To make the journey easier on the horses, we were instructed to lean forward and have our feet firmly placed in the stirrups.

At around 11,000 feet in elevation, we found the hike (as well as the butterflies) took our breath away.

After riding the horses, we hiked the final distance to the entrada (entrance) to the monarch roosting area. At first, we noticed a few monarchs gliding around. The temperatures warmed up, and the sun was shining, which made a perfect day to see the monarchs — when it warms up, they start fluttering around in search of some water or nectar. Hiking further up the mountain, we started encountering greater numbers of mariposas (butterflies). Large clumps of monarchs still roosted in the trees, while others eagerly glided about. We spent about two hours hiking and observing the magical sight of the mariposas.

We spent much of our time looking up, like Vanessa is doing here, in the reserve.

On the way back down the trail, we encountered several unexpected sights. A highway of butterflies flew across the trail, over our heads; hundreds of butterflies all flying in the same direction. This got us curious: Where are they all going? What mechanism is making them move in the same direction? Further down the trail, we saw a flutter of monarchs on the ground. These monarch were at small rivulets of water running downhill. This was amazing to witness!

Most of the group as we left the main monarch roosting area

We concluded the night with a bonfire, where we were joined by some of the other guests at Agua Blanca. Mini taught us about about the music of Michoacán. She then taught the group how to dance Bachata, a dance from the Dominican Republic.

Kathryn roasting a marshmellow over the bonfire

We started today off with a group exploration of Agua Blanca. After passing the mineral hot springs we gathered near a cliffside overlooking a river. We were training to use our senses for observation techniques.

After a great breakfast buffet we loaded up in the van headed to the Chincua monarch butterfly reserve. As we rode through the beautiful small communities we witnessed two different celebrations of the saints. Boys rode bikes decorated with garland and a whole community dressed in bright yellow marched down the street. In almost every community we passed we saw murals of monarch butterflies covering walls, a reminder of the deep appreciation of in these Mexican communities of the special butterflies we came all the way from North Carolina to visit.

Procession for San Anotonio

Mural in Angangeo on our way to the monarch reserves

From the entrance of the reserve we made our way up the mountain on horses led by locals. For some of our group, this was their first time riding a horse. After leaving our horses behind, we continued farther up the mountain through the Oyamel Fir forest on foot, spotting many species of birds that were new to us.

Trista on her horse!

Meghan and Cindy riding up to the monarchs

About half way up to our destination at over 11,000 feet above sea level we stopped to view the valley below and admire volcanoes that are part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We saw our first few monarch butterflies flutter by as we learned about the local geography. Finally, we reached the clusters of monarch butterflies we came to see.

Monarch clump at Chincua reserve

After observing millions of monarchs covering the oyamel fir trees, the sun came out though though the clouds giving the monarchs warmth and ability to take flight for just a few glorious minutes before the sun went behind the clouds again. After waiting a little longer for the sun to show itself again, we headed back down and had a wonderful lunch, including some amazing mushroom soup. After lunch we headed down to a pretty meadow where we saw some axolotls in a small creek!

We drove back to Agua Blanca, taking in all the beautiful sights. When we got back, we had a wonderful team meeting and talked about all the amazing experiences of the day. We had supper and then our Mexican guide, Karel, gave us an in-depth presentation on the history of the monarchs.

Hot air baloons over Teotihuacan at sunrise

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and over 40 hot air balloons before venturing to the ruins of Teotihuacan. We were delighted to see various species of birds, including the brilliantly gorgeous Red Vermilion Flycatcher, an endemic species to Mexico. Our first stop was the pyramids at Teotihuacan. The steep climb up the stairs led us to ornate stone carvings including shapes of seashells, the Plumed Serpent, snakes, jaguars and symbology of natural resources. After taking in the splendor of the Pyramid of the Sun, the second largest ruin in the world, we walked the Avenue of the Dead toward the Temple of the Moon. The Pyramid of the Sun’s base is the same size as the Pyramids in Giza. We were treated to the colorful murals of the Quetzalpapalotl Palace, ornate murals depicting jaguars, owls, monarchs and other important ancestral gods. The rich reds were produced by an insect, the Cocchineal insect – a scale insect that lives on cacti.

Group in front of the Pyramid of the Moon

Before lunch we made a quick stop at a local market where we learned about the many uses of the agave plant. The agave plant provided fiber, paper, medicines, thread, and as an art medium among many other purposes. There are over 150 species of agave. We were lucky enough to see one about to bloom just outside our restaurant stop. Our lunch included a chicken dish prepared with prickly pear cactus, a native species that was grown adjacent to the resturant. Dessert featured the fruit of the pricklypear, and our drive around the area gave us a view of many additional varieties of succulents.

Following lunch we had an opportunity to take in the varied countryside as we drove north to the monarch butterfly overwintering areas. We stretched our legs and took advantage of birding opportunities at a lake along the highway, observing northern shovelers, blue-winged teal, grebes and non-breeding white-faced ibis, among many other species. Interestingly, the white-faced ibis does NOT have a white face outside of the breeding season, a reminder to not assume that common names are 100% accurate at all times. Along the drive we observed the changing landscape, noticing more green foliage in the trees, snow-covered mountains in the far distance and a gorgeous sunset. We were greeted to a nourishing meal before tucking in, excited for our first experience with the Monarchs happening on Friday!

“To hear a thousand monarch wings beating”
“To see a humpback whale breech”
“To hear the song of a painted bunting or pygmy owl”
“To savor foods and flavors I have never tasted before
“To learn from and share with other educators resources and lessons related to this expedition”
“To make connections between North Carolina and Mexico”
“To visit an archeological site of global importance.”

The list went on for three pages of chart paper all carefully taped to the column of Atlanta’s Delta Gate 2E. The bulleted statements on the chart paper listed the collective goals of all 12 educators on this experience. From Cherokee to Greenville and all parts in between, educators from across North Carolina sat in a circle at Gate 2E and tried to prepare ourselves for this amazing journey in front of us.

Our group meeting at the Atlanta airport

Today we travelled many miles to reach a destination we have never seen before, just like the monarchs that brought us here in the first place. We tried to prepare ourselves for the possibility of being witnesses to several of the greatest migrations on planet Earth. We are trying to prepare ourselves for a truly magical expereince.

But this magical experience had to start in a very basic way… with travel. So today we traveled a lot. We traveled from our homes by car to Raleigh and by plane to the Atlanta airport. From there we boarded another plane to Mexico City. We flew above the clouds where the setting sun made the sky a pale pink. Scientists believe the monarch butterflies also travel at high altitudes, maybe even as high as planes. Once in Mexico City we were back on the ground, but new ground. From there we traveled by bus to our hotel near Teotihuacan. And it was here that our first day of travel ended and we could finally rest.

But today was about more than just travel. It was travel mixed with getting to know each other. It was travel mixed with conversations about what we are excited to observe and what we know we had to leave behind to be present in the moments ahead. We look forward to tomorrow with anticipation. Like butterflies, we are fluttering with excitement about the magic ahead.

Oh, Mexico
I’ve never really been but I’d sure like to go
Sing, whoa, Mexico
I guess I’ll have to go now

~James Taylor

On Wednesday, January 15, twelve North Carolina educators and two Museum staff will head to Mexico for our newest Educators of Excellence program: Mexico’s Magical Migrations Institute.

Since our orientation meeting on December 7, the group has been getting ready for our adventure to witness the amazing natural spectacle of over-wintering monarch butterflies and humpback whales. Check out how folks have been preparing, then bookmark this site to follow our adventures as we post daily blogs on our travels!

Kate reading about the monarch butterfly’s migration.

Kate Highsmith: I have been preparing for our Magical Mexico Migration experience with some nightly reading. I have enjoyed learning about Sara Dykman’s bicycle journey along the monarch’s migration route.  I also watched the Netflix documentary, The Guardian of the Monarchs.

The well-decorated cover of Beverly’s journal.

Beverly Owens: To prepare for our trip, I’ve been learning about the flora and fauna of Mexico. I created an info sheet about the Crested Caracara to give to participants for our travel journals. I’ve also been discussing the trip with students, so they know they will be able to check out our daily blog articles.

Meghan’s workstation as she researches her expert topic.

Meghan Baker: Amidst a snowy winter day, I’m finishing up my “Expert Topic” preparations and feeling incredibly lucky and excited to experience the monarchs and oyamel firs in just a few short days!

Cindy’s class learning about mariposas (monarch butterflies)!

Cindy Bredenberg: I haven’t packed or anything like that – but my students and I have had quite a few conversations about the mariposas!

Mika’s prep for her expert topic.

Mika Twietmeyer: Doing my homework ahead of my trip next week! I also found out that Mexico has the greatest diversity of oak trees in the world with around 160 species. We hear a lot about the mighty Quercus in the Triangle (Raleigh is the City of Oaks, after all!) and I am looking forward to observing new species and different types of acorns.

Trista in her winter duds.

Trista Williams: I’m 🦋fluttering 🦋 with excitement to leave snowy Western NC and 🐋 whale-come 🐋 the sunshine of Mexico. Time to swap my snow boots for sunscreen!

Doug with some monarch wall-art!

Doug Clark: Today we visited a park and nature center nearby. Sounds like they have a pretty big monarch tagging operation there. Had a nice talk with the park superintendent about monarchs. I’ve also been trying to get a little extra exercise in. Hopefully running some stairs will help with my endurance while on the trip. My wife’s great aunt Pat is a retired teacher that is now in her upper 90s. She and her late husband did a lot of birding in Texas after retiring. A few years ago she handed down part of her collection of bird field guides to our family. Most of them are signed by the the authors they spent time with. Her copy of A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America is one I never expected to get much use but will be perfect for this trip.

Marcie doing some Mexico research.

I spent most of this weekend packing for our departure to Mexico this Wednesday! I have also been researching about the places on our itinerary and reading this book about Mexico! So excited to be a part of this group of educators going in this trip!

Kathryn and her dog, prepping for a week of separation with extra love.

Kathryn Edwards: Everyone I’ve told about the Magical Migration Mexico trip are so excited for us! I’ve told my pets too, and made sure to give them some extra loving before we leave for a week.

Check out our Meet the Team page to learn more about the group traveling to Mexico this week.