Background

CWF and our partners at Parks Canada are committed to helping the monarch butterfly, a species at risk.

The monarch butterfly is considered a species at risk by scientists in Canada. Scientists have identified parts of the monarch's biology (like their life-cycle, caterpillar food preference and migration route) and some human activities (like logging in overwintering grounds in Mexico and herbicide use in summer breeding areas in the United States and Canada) as threats that could cause the monarch to become threatened or endangered if nothing is done to help.

In the conservation world, there are efforts across North America to help protect monarch butterflies. Canada, Mexico and the United States are all working together to protect areas that we know monarchs use a lot. The protected areas are called monarch butterfly reserves. In Canada, there are three designated reserve areas, all under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada. They are: Long Point National Wildlife Area, Point Pelee National Park, and the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. These are all places that monarchs are known to gather together during fall migration.

The monarch butterfly has further protection in Point Pelee National Park, under Canadian laws that take care of all National Parks. Furthermore, Point Pelee National Park is actively restoring savannah habitat – home to the monarch butterfly. Most of the park’s savannah habitat disappeared over the years due to succession and park staff are actively opening these areas up, planting native species, including several different species of milkweed and nectaring plants, and maintaining these open habitats for the future.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has been helping the monarch butterfly and other pollinators over the last 25 years by encouraging Canadians to create, restore and maintain wildlife-friendly habitat through programs like ‘Wild About Gardening’, our ‘Help the Monarchs’ initiative and this ‘WILD Spaces’ program.

This year, CWF and Parks Canada are working together to bring WILD Spaces for Monarchs to life, in order to increase suitable monarch butterfly habitat and engage youth in conservation.

We thank you for your participation!

Task

Read the text below to find out how CWF and Parks Canada are helping monarch butterflies.

Continue to M6: WILD Spaces »