| Monarch Grove Sanctuary | |
| Iucn Category: | IV |
| Map: | USA California#United States |
| Location: | 250 Ridge Rd, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 |
| Coordinates: | 36.6264°N -121.9307°W |
| Area: | [1] |
| Established: | 1992 |
| Governing Body: | City of Pacific Grove |
The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is an urban nature preserve in Pacific Grove, California. It protects the monarch butterflies that winter in Pacific Grove arriving in October. It is maintained by a volunteer crew.[2] About 12–16,000 butterflies stayed at the sanctuary during the 2022-23 winter, making it the fourth largest of its type in California.[3]
The land on which the sanctuary exists was first owned by Del Monte Hotel Management. It was then purchased by a local woman named Edna Dively to operate the Butterfly Grove Inn, which is still in operation. When plans for land development were made, local nature group leaders, led by Ro Vaccaro, stepped up to stop it from happening. Pacific Grove's citizens voted to create a tax to establish the sanctuary, in 1990, as a part of Measure G, City of Pacific Grove Butterfly Habitat and Bond Measure.[2] The city was able to collaborate with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to go through with the purchase of the land, finalizing the acquisition in 1992.[4] In 2004, a branch above the parking lot fell on Anne Dickinson Thomas, killing her. Her family sued for wrongful death against the city in 2006.[1]
Monarchs that winter at Monarch Grove Sanctuary live up to six months after reaching adulthood, in opposition to most other monarchs, which only live for four to five weeks. Touching the butterflies will result in a $1000 fine.[5] The sanctuary contains pine, cypress, oaks, coast redwood, and eucalyptus trees.[2] Planet species include Monterey pine and Monterey cypress. Most of the monarchs are clustered around a "very dense" group of blue gum eucalyptus trees planted in 1917.[6]