Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy’s Monarch Butterfly Festival 2012

A young person with a Monarch Butterfly at EBC's Tagging Event

Here’s some interesting news about Monarchs from our friends at Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy:
“Have you had a chance to catch a butterfly lately?” Bob Barnett of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy asked today as the organization prepares for the upcoming Monarch Butterfly Festival 2012, to be held in Tobermory, Ontario and area August 25, 26, 2012 and September 1, 2, 3, 2012.
For the second year the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy will host two weekends of programming dedicated to protecting the monarch butterfly and celebrating its incredible annual migration to Mexico.
“Listed as a species-at-risk in Canada, the monarch and the habitat it needs to survive are of great concern and in need of protection.” EBC, a charitable conservation organization, is engaged in monarch conservation through the establishment of nature reserves throughout the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island.
“We know protecting this land is vitally important as we have protected 11 properties in the immediate Tobermory/Cape Hurd area comprising 981 acres,” explained Barnett.
The festival will allow the public to participate in monarch conservation. There will be netting, tagging and releasing of butterflies at the Bruce Peninsula National Park Visitor Centre in Tobermory during the day (10am – 6pm). Participants will also have the chance to visit an EBC nature reserve nearby. On Saturdays, Aug. 25 and Sept. 1, the feature film Four Wings and a Prayer will be shown at the Visitor Centre auditorium as well.
“On the Bruce, we’re blessed to be right on a funnel in the migration path. We get all the monarchs from Manitoulin migrating south right here along the Lake Huron shore at Cape Hurd. We hope you and your family will help us send our butterfly friends off on their long journey!
“There’s no cost, just fun,” said Barnett. For further information contact Bob Barnett toll free  (888 815 9575) or rbarnett@escarpment.ca During event contact (647-296-3894).
About Monarch Tagging:
Tagging is an important way for scientists to track Monarchs’ movement across North America. Each tag will be carried all the way to Mexico. Tags from the Bruce have proven the endangered monarchs winter in clusters in the volcanic-belt Pine forests of Michoacan. It is hoped tags will be recovered by scientists studying this insect migration. A monarch travels all the way to Mexico in the fall, while in the spring, three more generations bring their descendants back to the Bruce and beyond. An insect that small, waiting for just the right winds to get all that way – an incredible journey and story!
Further Programming Information:
DATES: August 25, 26 and September 1, 2, 3, 2012
TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
LOCATIONS: Primary Site – Visitor’s Centre, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Tobermory
Secondary Site – EBC’s Alvar Bay Nature Reserve, 681 Cape Hurd Road
•             Netting, tagging and release* each day 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Visitor Centre – Bruce Peninsula National Park, Tobermory
•             “Four Wings and a Prayer” National Film Board feature movie – Aug. 25 and Sept. 1, 7:00 p.m. – Visitor Centre Theatre
•             Nature Walk – Alvar Bay, Cape Hurd – Sunday Aug 26, 11:00 a.m.
•             Naturalist event at the Park – TBC
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy:
Since 1997, the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy has been working with the public and private landowners to conserve valuable natural lands from Acton north to Manitoulin. To date, we have protected 8,768 acres of conservation land in some of southern Ontario’s most iconic areas, like Manitoulin Island, the Lake Huron shoreline, the Saugeen Valley and, of course, the Niagara Escarpment. The Conservancy’s mission is to establish, maintain and manage a system of nature reserves in the area of the Niagara Escarpment, including the maintenance of physical features of scientific and/or ecological significance; and to maintain, enhance or restore communities of native species and natural habitat. We also aim to educate the public about conservation and preservation of the landscape, ecology and wildlife. To accomplish these goals, the Conservancy works with landowners to acquire properties with natural habitat through donation, purchase or by establishing conservation agreements. We work across a diverse range of ecological and social communities, even protecting farmland and woodlots as part of the ecosystem.

2 Comments

  • monarch butterfly migrate to mexico…

    […]Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy’s Monarch Butterfly Festival 2012 – Escarpment Views[…]…

  • I find it very interesting that such an environmental and emotional topic as the concerns around the butterfly conditions are supported by you with Parks Canada when PC spray acres and acres of Milkweed with Roundup TM in the Tobermory area and yet no one is concerned over PC extensive usage of Monsanto products. Species at risk habitat , amphibians and insects sprayed all summer to get rid of a weed that has been here for 100+ years and nature worked with it and did not stop it process.

    Now local residents who know PC is using herbicides and Pesticides of such extreme are also doing the same because they believe if PC can use so can they and in one case an alvar on the waters edge has been spray all summer to get rid of the beautiful wild grass and other wildflowers .

    Now you partner with PC on such a delicate species existence.

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