Fall is definitely in the air! As the temperature begins to dip, keep a look out for the Monarch Butterfly making its 2,500 mile migratory trek across the United States, areas of the Gulf of Mexico and on into Central Mexico.  Right now is the best time to see these colorful little creatures.  This beautiful picture was taken at the Florida Audubon Laidlaw Preserve in October 2010 by Florida Audubon Board Member George Willson.

The Monarch Butterfly has a lifespan of 7-8 months, making them the longest living butterflies in the world.  Take a minute to read this update from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

"Once they reach Mexico in November, the monarchs roost by the hundreds of thousands on oyamel fir trees.  There, they hibernate until March before starting a northward migration.  Then, they mate, lay eggs and die.  Their offspring continue the journey north through the spring and summer.  It takes four generations of monarchs to reach the northern United States and southern Canada. It is the offspring of this last group who are destined to repeat the southward migration of their great-great-grandparents. Monarchs are the only insects that have such an incredible migration."