If you live on the Central Coast, chances are you’ve seen monarchs in your yard. They’re an important part of our ecosystem, but the butterfly’s numbers are dwindling. You can learn more when the Central Coast State Parks Association screens a documentary about monarchs on Monday, Aug. 10, in the Bay Theatre (doors at 5, film at 5:30 p.m.; 2025; not rated, 81 min.; $18 at centralcoastparks.org).
“Every autumn, millions of Western monarch butterflies make a breathtaking journey across the American West—and many of them end up right here on the Central Coast,” organizers announced. “But their numbers have plummeted in recent decades, and the future of this iconic migration is far from certain. Western Monarch Butterflies: Protecting Our Pollinators takes you inside that journey. Filmmaker Ian A. Nelson spent years documenting the monarchs’ extraordinary yearlong migration, capturing both the wonder of their overwintering gatherings and the urgent efforts of scientists and communities working to bring them back. The result is a visually stunning, deeply human story about what we stand to lose and what we can still do to help.”
All proceeds from the screening will support the Central Coast State Parks Association’s work at maintaining critical Western monarch habitat. ∆
This article appears in Education Today 2026.
