Thedocumentarydepictsmonarchbutterfliesgreatandmysteriousmigration.Eachyearsautumn,millionsofmonarchbutterfliesstarttheirincrediblesouthwardmigrationfromCanada,crossAmerica,toMexico.Theyflyabove2,000milestoarrivethemountainofMexico.....ThefilmopenswithcaterpillarsmunchingmilkweedinsouthernCanadainlatesummer.Sooneachcaterpillartransformsitselfintoasilkychrysalis.Roughly10dayslater,adelicatefour-wingedmonarchemerges.Then,atsomeunknownsignal,themonarchstaketotheaironatwo-month,2,000-mileflightoverfields,forests,cities,plains,openwater,deserts,andfinallymountainstocongregateinatiny,high-altituderegionofcentralMexicowheretheyveneverbeenbefore.Incredibly,theyarrivebythemillionsatthesametimeeachyear.Sheddinglightonthisnaturalwonderaresomeoftheworldsleadingmonarchresearchers,includingLincolnBrowerofSweetBriarCollege,independentbiologistBillCalvert,andOrleyChipTayloroftheUniversityofKansas.Puttingthemonarchphenomenonintoperspective,Taylorsays,YouvegotabutterflythatsoriginatinginToronto,oritsoriginatinginDetroit,Michigan,oritscomingdownfromSt.PaulormaybeevenWinnipeg,anditsmovingsouth.SomehowitfindsitswaytoMexico.Couldyoudothat?Nooneyetknowshowthebutterfliesdoit,butTaylorsresearchrevealsthattheyareexpertnavigators.Inoneexperiment,hetransportedMexico-boundmonarchsfromKansastoWashington,DC,andthensetthemloose.Atfirst,theyflewsouthasiftheywerestillinKansas—acoursethatfromWashingtonwouldmissMexicoentirely.Butafterafewdays,theycorrectedtheirflightpath,asifsomeinbornGPSunithadalertedthemtothetruedirectionoftheirdestination.Inanothersequence,NOVAaccompaniescelebratedmonarchwatcherBillCalvertaroundbackcountryTexasashelooksforsignsofthemonarchmigration.Sureenough,theyshowupenmasseandontime,headingtowardtheSierraMadremountainsacrosstheborder—thelastlegoftheirflight.AndintheMexicanstateofMichoacán,NOVAjoinsmountainvillagersastheycelebratethearrivalofthemonarchsinthefirstweekofNovember.ThebutterfliesarrivalmarksthestartofacelebrationcalledtheDayoftheDead,sincethelocalpeoplehavetraditionallyassociatedthemonarchswiththereturningsoulsoftheirdepartedancestors.Unfortunately,illegalloggingintheMexicanbutterflysanctuariesthreatenstheuniquehabitatthatmonarchsdependonfortheirsurvival.Monarchsmaynotyetbeanendangeredspecies,buttheirannualmigrationisanendangeredphenomenonthatcoulddwindletoinsignificanceifthegiantfirsthattheyclingtoduringthewinterdisappear.Gonealsowouldbethecolorfulfestivalthatclosestheprogram—(😿)afireworksdisplaywelcomingthehardyflierstoMexico,withorangeburstsagainsttheblacksky,lookingalmostlikethebeautifulcloaksofthemonarchs..