Jaime Rojo, a professional photographer, captures breathtaking images of monarch butterflies and sells them online to fund projects aimed at their protection. So far, he has raised a substantial sum through this admirable endeavor, while at the same time documenting the beauty of a unique species. His photographic record will stand as witness to the passage of these winged creatures across the world—should they fail to survive climate change.
An ambitious and hopeful project is being carried out with determination and a fighting spirit by Jaime Rojo. A seasoned photographer with an expert eye capable of capturing the magic of the natural world in a single instant, with a single click, Rojo is a member of the prestigious National Geographic team and considers himself an explorer at heart. He has decided to give everything to save his favorite species. Over the course of two decades behind the lens, among the many remarkable species he has photographed, one has captured not only his camera but also his adventurous and nature-loving heart: the monarch butterfly.
His work—stunning images of butterflies in flight—is celebrated wherever it is exhibited. Through each photograph, Rojo brings into focus the many threats that monarchs face today. He also closely follows—and documents through his lens—the efforts of the various environmental conservation NGOs to which he donates the proceeds from his photo sales, organizations that are dedicated to protecting these butterflies.
His photographs feature scenes of the butterflies he so deeply admires and strives to protect. Each image is unique and extraordinary. Some depict thousands of monarchs, their distinctive orange glow shining against the sun, covering the sky during migration. Others show clusters of butterflies, piled one atop another, their wings folded as they cling to tree bark in a humid, misty forest—huddled together for warmth on a winter night. Another shows them blanketing the ground like a living carpet over the snow during a storm.
A Complex Scenario for a Species Struggling to Stay Aloft
“The abrupt decline in the monarch butterfly population should sadden the entire world,” says Jaime Rojo. This harsh reality, biologists and conservation experts agree, is merely a reflection of what is happening to nature itself. It is a sign, a symptom of its severe deterioration—evidence of a deeper, global biodiversity crisis from which no living being is exempt. Humanity alone seems deaf to the warnings nature sends, ignoring the signals that precede the catastrophe it will inevitably face sooner rather than later.
According to data gathered by the scientific team accompanying National Geographic’s documentation efforts, the planet has lost 74% of its wildlife—an abrupt decline that occurred over just the past five decades. Such a staggering and devastating figure, reached in such a short period, underscores the magnitude of the global biodiversity crisis. In the case of monarchs, the situation is even worse: records show their population has fallen by nearly 90% in the last forty years. This places them on the brink of extinction, making every initiative—no matter how small or local—critically important for even the slightest chance of recovery.
As a trustee of the WILD Foundation and senior member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Jaime Rojo knows his work makes a difference. His photographs, he says, are like “small alarm clocks” for environmental awareness—alerts he sends out to the world with the precise click of his camera. They offer images of stunning aesthetic beauty, yet so fleeting it hurts, he emphasizes. Still, against all odds, he continues working tirelessly to raise funds and nurture a small, handcrafted but still possible miracle: to forever see monarch butterflies flying free in nature.
Note: All proceeds from Mr. Jaime Rojo’s online photography sales are entirely donated to two renowned environmental conservation NGOs—primarily FOCEN and Monarch Watch. Both organizations are dedicated to research and habitat restoration efforts to ensure a future for monarch butterflies.
