A conservation blitz is taking place across three countries to help preserve the monarch butterfly population. Thousands of volunteers are needed in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to document sightings. Monarch butterflies are considered the most recognizable of its kind with their large wings and vibrant colour. “They capture our imagination,” said Felix Sperling, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta. “They give us a sort of uplifting sense of hope, and by doing that they encourage people to be connected to nature.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, where the next 10 days will see thousands of volunteers tracking the butterfly in all stages as well as the milkweed plant where they lay their eggs. Anyone can volunteer by taking a photo of a monarch butterfly in its egg, caterpillar or mature state with a smartphone and uploading it to the iNaturalist or Mission Monarch app. One of the groups behind the project says Edmonton plays a special role in the research. “Edmonton in particular is really interesting because it’s the northern limit where we have monarch observations, so any further north we’re not really seeing any monarchs,” said James Pagé, a biodiversity specialist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. While monarch butterfly sightings are rare in the Edmonton region, all assistance is welcomed. “Scientists can’t be everywhere, so allowing everyday people to be our eyes on the ground provides so much more data than we could have accomplished just with scientists going out on their own,” explained Pagé. Volunteers can upload pictures of monarch butterflies and supplementary information between July 31 and Aug. 9.
