TED Talks Daily The magical, mesmerizing migration of monarch butterflies | Jaime Rojo (re-release)
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Mar 26, 2026 
Jaime Rojo, a photographer and visual storyteller focused on wildlife and conservation, dives into the wonder of monarch butterflies. He explores their epic migration across North America. He spotlights the mystery of how they navigate back to Mexico. He also looks at the many threats along their route and the growing effort to protect their habitats.
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The Supergeneration That Finishes The Monarch Journey
- Monarch migration spans three to five generations, with a hormonally altered supergeneration flying about 3,000 miles to Mexico.
- Butterflies that reach the wintering forests are great-granddaughters of the ones that left in spring, yet still find 12 isolated mountaintops.
Why Monarch Navigation Still Defies Science
- Scientists still do not know exactly how monarchs pinpoint the same Mexican forests, despite evidence for solar, magnetic, visual, and scent cues.
- Christine Merlin linked antennae to a solar compass, while new ultralight sensors may finally track one butterfly's full route.
Milkweed Loss Turned Migration Into A Crisis
- Monarch decline reflects broader ecosystem damage, because migration now crosses a landscape stripped of prairie and milkweed.
- Jaime Rojo says herbicides plus genetically modified crops wiped native grasses from fields, collapsing the host plant caterpillars need.