This photo was taken in San Luis Obispo, California, at Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, which is a publicly owned and protected overwintering site for western monarch butterflies. The current population for this species is threatened, and recent counts show a 90% drop from counts done 25 years ago. This grove in at Pismo State Beach generally has one of the largest overwintering western monarch populations and offers a special opportunity to see them in large numbers.