Monarch butterflies will soon be on the move. The orange winged creatures will migrate 2,000+ miles south to Mexico, passing through WNC from mid-September until mid-October.

One of the few insects that migrate to warmer climates, monarchs flee their homes in the eastern United States + southern Canada each fall and make the journey to Central America and California to ride out the winter chill. While there, the elegant insects hibernate for six to eight months in fir or eucalyptus trees before laying eggs and migrating back north in March.

One of your best bets for catching a glimpse of the bivouacs as they make their local pit stop is to visit high-elevation areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway (like Pounding Mill or Cherry Cove overlooks) — plus, you'll get the added bonus of seeing the gorgeous fall foliage.

You can also mark your calendar for the NC Arboretum's annual Monarch Day on Saturday, Sept. 28. Among a number of events and activities, the arboretum will host its fall plant sale and a monarch tagging-and-release demonstration.

But as you admire these colorful critters, it's also important to help protect them.

Over the past two decades, monarch numbers have declined due to habitat loss, misuse of pesticides, and climate change, but you can help build the future for the species in your own backyard. Milkweed is the only plant monarchs lay their eggs on and is the only plant that monarch caterpillars feed on. By adding it and other native pollinator plants (like black-eyed susans and coneflowers) to your garden, you can give the species the resources they need for a bright (orange) future.