SAN LUIS OBISPO — Every Fall, thousands of monarch butterflies migrate to the Central Coast of California to spend the winter at special overwintering sites. This phenomenon is one of the great spectacles of nature. But their population has declined severely, and the habitat and plants they depend upon are facing multiple threats. 

Join biologist Jessica Griffiths on Nov. 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. as she leads a virtual talk, and from 3 to 4 p.m. for a walk through the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden. You’ll learn more about monarchs, why they’re declining, what they need to thrive, and how you can help. Griffiths will share the most up-to-date information from scientists and conservationists about monarchs and what you can do to create and protect monarch habitat. 

Virtual Presentation and Garden Walk are each suggested donation of $5 Garden Members/$10 Public. Attendance is limited and ticket sales will end at noon on the day of the event. Visit slobg.org for additional information and event registration. 

Griffiths works as a biological consultant for Althouse and Meade, Inc., an environmental consulting firm in Paso Robles. She has her master’s from Cal Poly, where she completed her thesis on overwintering monarch butterflies. She has worked with monarchs on the Central Coast for almost 20 years in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Over the years, she has trained hundreds of volunteers throughout California to count monarch butterflies, and she is currently the SLO County Coordinator for the Xerces Society’s annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count.