Slow For Butterfly Migrations

Butterfly on a flower
Butterflies and flowers – a sure sign of spring

I love that there is a time of year when our community is asked to please slow down on their commutes in order to save butterflies.

The California tortoiseshell butterflies (a different species than the one pictured above) are doing their annual migration across Hwy 140 just outside the Yosemite park boundary. In 2010 extraordinary numbers of these beautiful but delicate creatures fluttered their way across the highway and were killed en masse by passing cars.

But it doesn’t have to be a killing field. If cars hold to a 25 mph speed limit, the butterflies get pushed up into the slipstream around the car and are alley-ooped up over the car safely instead of being smashed against the windshield or grill.

Please, if you are planning to come into Yosemite, help save our butterflies. Take a little extra time to drive slowly and enjoy butterfly migration season.