To build excitement, hold a school-wide contest and let students guess when the first monarch will appear in your home town. Write an article for your school or community newspaper. Organize an E-mail campaign. Post a message on a local bulletin board or on your favorite Newsgroup. The month of March is critical time for monarchs.
Timing is everything.
First, consider their lifespan. These butterflies have been alive since August. The aging process has been suspended long beyond the 4-6 week lifespan of other monarch generations. The cool temperatures in Mexico helped to extend their lives. When they shift back into a reproductively active state each spring, the clock begins to tick once again and they have just a few weeks left to live.