Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday opened a center that will breed and protect the Monarch butterfly, a species recognized by the UNESCO for its universal value.

"The Butterfly Conservation Cultural Center is not only a place to eat or stroll, but to learn to respect this marvel of Mexico and the world," Calderon told the opening ceremony in Angangueo, a small town in the Pacific coast state of Michoacan.

"This project will benefit all the western region of the state. The Tourism Ministry has already said that hotels in Angangueo and other nearby towns are being certified for participation," he said.

The Monarch butterfly is known for its spectacular migration, which brings millions of the insects to a small area in Michoacan once a year.

However, the butterfly has been hit hard by deforestation. Environmentalists say that only one-fourth butterflies migrated to Mexico from the United States and Canada last year.