Colby Thelen details journey to Mexico to document declining Monarch population

At the start of the new year, I was blessed to hear the question – “Do you want to go to Mexico?” It had been nearly two years since News 9 sent me and photojournalist Darrell Vannostran to Africa with the Oklahoma City Zoo.

I didn’t expect an assignment like it to come again, but there was a story to tell.

The Assignment:

In 2019, News 9 morning anchor Lacie Lowry traveled to central Mexico to observe the overwintering Monarch butterfly population.

See Lacie's Story: Oklahoma City Zoo Working To Prevent Monarch Butterfly Extinction

Six years later, the decline in numbers was even more startling. Our assignment was to provide an update - sadly, it was not good. 2024 saw one of the lowest population numbers in recorded history. Once again, we would pack up, load up, and ship out to learn about what efforts were being undertaken to save the Monarch.

LEARN MORE: How do I plant a monarch butterfly garden with native plants?

The Trip:

The goal was to travel to three sanctuaries over three days, but before we arrived, we wondered if we would see many at all. Along with members of the Oklahoma City Zoo, the trip included several members of the Oklahoma Monarch Society. Those members spent years working to increase efforts in Oklahoma to protect and preserve the Monarch population. Still, this group had never seen the last stop on the migration from Canada. This year, they would make the trip, and this year, they would find signs of hope.

Monarchs in Minutes:

We learned upon arrival that there are strict rules on the time visitors spend inside the Monarch sanctuaries. One of the reasons for the restriction is to protect the insects. On our trip, we had only 18 minutes inside each sanctuary. That meant 18 minutes for Darrell to gather everything needed. As usual, he delivered.

You can watch Monarch Migration on News 9 on Wednesday, September 10, at 6:30 p.m.