MONTRÉAL, July 15,
2024 /CNW/ - Montréal Space for Life invites you to
participate in the 8th edition of the International Monarch
Monitoring Blitz, which runs from July 26 to
August 4. This is a unique opportunity for people and
organizations in Canada,
the United States and Mexico to come together beyond international
boundaries to protect this emblematic North American species.
For ten days, the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites
the North American population to locate milkweed plants and look
for eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies in order to
help estimate the size of the monarch's summer population. To take
part, you need only transmit your monarch and milkweed plant
observations via the Insectarium's Mission Monarch program, or else
use one of the community-science programs listed below.
Crucial data for monarch protection
Since monarch and milkweed populations cover a great deal of
North America, the participation
of the population is essential for deepening our knowledge of these
two intimately connected species. Climate change is altering the
monarch and milkweed range, whence the importance of collecting and
analyzing reliable data over the long term if we're to arrive at a
better understanding of population and habitat trends.
The roughly 4,000 observations reported last year helped collect
invaluable data on monarch breeding all over North America. Observations from volunteers
make it possible to identify priority conservation areas for the
monarch and to guide conservation measures. Data collected during
the Blitz are freely accessible and can be consulted on the website
of the Trinational Monarch Knowledge Network, a data depository
designed by the experts from the Insectarium that contains
observations from a range of sources and that helps research teams
carry out large-scale temporal and spatial analysis.
The Blitz is the sole coordinated initiative on a North American
scale that offers an overview of the summertime range of monarch
and milkweed populations. That information is critical for
scientists in their understanding and assessment of monarch
reproductive success, as well as long-term population trends.
That's especially important right now, since the monarch's eastern
migratory population has reached the lowest level ever observed at
the wintering sites in Mexico,
over an area of 0.90 hectares, according to CONANP (Comisión
Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Mexico). Moreover, in December 2023, the monarch was officially
designated an endangered species under Canada's Species at Risk Act.
According to Maxim Larrivée, director of the Insectarium | Space
for Life: "Taking part in the International Monarch Monitoring
Blitz is a concrete way to contribute to the conservation of this
emblematic butterfly. By joining thousands of volunteers across
North America, you'll be helping
collect crucial data on monarch populations and milkweed plants.
That information makes it possible to target conservation efforts
where they're most needed. By documenting monarchs and their
breeding habitats over ten days, you're taking part in a unique and
invaluable scientific initiative that no single research team could
carry out by itself, and directly contributing to the protection of
biodiversity."
Community-science programs
In Canada:
- Mission Monarch (mission-monarch.org/en)
- iNaturalist Canada
(inaturalist.ca)
In the U.S.:
- Journey North (journeynorth.org)
- Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (mlmp.org)
- Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper
(monarchmilkweedmapper.org)
- iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org)
In Mexico:
- NaturaLista (naturalista.mx)
- Correo Real (correoreal.mx)
The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz is organized by the
Trinational Monarch Conservation Partnership, which is the result
of the collaboration of the following organizations: the Commission
for Environmental Cooperation (CCE), the Comisión Nacional de
Áreas Naturales Protegidas in Mexico, Environment and Climate Change Canada,
the Insectarium | Space for Life, the Canadian Wildlife Federation,
Journey North, the Monarch Joint Venture, Profauna A.C. in
Mexico, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation.
Press release from the Commission for Environmental
Cooperation
Press kit
About Espace pour la vie
Protecting biodiversity and the environment is at the heart of
the mission of Espace pour la vie, which is made up of the Biodôme,
Biosphère, Insectarium, Jardin botanique and Planétarium. Together,
these museums located in Montréal form Canada's largest natural science museum
complex, welcoming over 2.4 million visitors each year. In view of
the challenges our planet is facing, Espace pour la vie is working
to increase its impact by fostering dialogue with communities and
taking actions aimed at mobilizing the public behind the
socio-ecological transition.
SOURCE Espace pour la vie Montreal