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HOW SCIENTISTS ARE HELPING THE MONARCHS

Saturday, December 16, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we track the perilous migration of the monarch, see Nat Geo’s most compelling photos of the century ... and celebrate the comeback of the floppy-nosed antelope.

A man carefully shaves and attaches a metal tracker to a monarch butterfly

VIDEO: THOR MORALES

How do you shave a monarch butterfly’s abdomen? Gently. But why? To attach a mini-sensor to learn about one of the most dangerous journeys in the world.

Scientists hope to recapture a few of these monarchs hundreds of miles south, in Mexico. The sensors will have light and temperature data collected en route, allowing a map of the ultramarathon and ever-more-perilous migration. Follow the journey!

A MIND-BENDING JOURNEY

Many monarch butterflies roosting together

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAIME ROJO

About that sensor: With a drop of epoxy, biologist and Nat Geo Explorer André Green (pictured at top) affixes his custom-designed sensor to a monarch. Above, a latecomer joins other monarchs for the night. Read more.

Related: Five ways that monarchs amaze us
Also: Anyone with a patch of land can help monarchs

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A leopard seal approaches the lens of the camera, mouth open wide

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL NICKLEN

Nat Geo’s Photos of the Century (Above, a curious leopard seal drops a penguin chick to briefly engulf the camera.)

The power of whole grains: Why steel-cut oats beat processed cereals for breakfast

England once tried to put the brake on Christmas. It, um, didn’t work

New movie Poor Things carries Frankenstein touches. How a teenage girl wrote the original

Do you travel? Go walking? Like maps? These last-minute gifts may be for you

What can 2023 tell us about climate signs to look out for next year?

The hunt for the real, historical Jesus

These 5 cities vanished without a trace. We’re finally learning their stories

How to keep your gut healthy during the holiday

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A male salga antelope on the range.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VALERIY MALEEV/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

Can conservation efforts really change the game? The saiga antelope, characterized by its signature floppy nose, can attest. Two decades ago, the species nearly went extinct. In a historic comeback, there are now 1.9 million saiga antelope (shown above), according to recent estimates. Where do they roam?

A. Africa
B. Eurasia
C. North America
D. South America

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

LAST GLIMPSE

A Jeffery pine tree, made famous by Ansel Adams, in Yosemite's Sentinel dome

PHOTOGRAPH BY HARALD SUND, GETTY IMAGES

Photographs and memories: Our readers devoured stories about travel destinations this year—including one feature about things that aren’t there anymore, like the wind-battered Jeffery pine (above) at Yosemite’s Sentinel Dome, made famous by Ansel Adams. It finally toppled in 2003. See our top travel stories.

MOST POPULAR IN TRAVEL

Today’s soundtrack: Little Wing, Jimi Hendrix

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Nishita Naga, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Thanks for reading! Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup.

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