The Monarch is one of Canada's best known butterflies. Every year it makes the longest migration of the insect world.

Canadian scientist Fred Urquart solved the mystery of the Monarchs winter home. He had wondered where the monarchs were flying to in the fall since the 1920's. For 40 years he would track the butterflies.

Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent is playing the voice role of Fred Urquart telling his story and Gordon acts as Fred Urquart. Patricia Phillips plays the role of Norah Urquart.

Every spring the monarch's arrive in the Texas hill country. From here they take an epic journey that takes place over 3 generations of butterflies. Each generation must survive through egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult butterfly.

The butterflies must find milkweed more than anything else it is crucial for their survival. It is mostly poisonous to other animals. It is the only plant that monarchs can lay their eggs on. Milkweed is all the caterpillars ever eat. Milkweed is bitter tasting, the caterpillars can tolerate it but it makes them an unpleasant meal for birds and insects. Only one percent will survive to become butterflies.

In the 40's finding where the monarchs went had become Fred and Norah Urquarts quest. Urquart started tagging insects to find where they went.

A new generation of Monarchs are born and fly north from Texas seeking out milkweed where ever they land. Monarch populations surge toward the Great Lakes laying eggs as they go. Three generations over six months. Monarch numbers use to swell to half a billion.

In the 50's Urquart found the best butterfly label by using labels that were used on groceries. Urquart and his wife Norah had to figure out how to get the labels on lots of butterflies.

Monarchs lay up to 300 eggs. Some of the Monarchs are attracted to gardens that are planted to attract butterflies. Some lay their eggs there. Monarchs born in late summer fly much greater distances.

The Urquarts turned to the local press about their butterfly hunt. By 1967 the Urquarts had people retrieving their tagged butterflies from all across North America. They asked for the tagged butterflies to be sent back to them. They could track their migration.

In 2 weeks a monarch caterpillar can be 2000 times larger and then she will undergo a breath taking transformation into a butterfly. In 15 hours the Monarchs skin splits and beneath a new skin hardens to a chrysalis. Inside specialised cells nourish new growth. After two weeks a butterfly emerges. Previous butterflies in this migration cycle only lasted a few weeks. The butterflies born around the fall could live up to 9 months. These butterflies will migrate to a secret winter home. To escape the coming winter they will fly south.

Urquart found that most monarchs were flying southwest into Texas. In 1970 Urquart moved his research into Texas, searching high and low for Monarchs.

Monarchs are beautiful evolved navigators their DNA provides clues how they can fly so accurately. Their antennae track time and the position of the sun. She keeps time as the sun moves across the sun. Like an insect GPS she fine tunes her flight path.

Monarchs smell with their antennae and taste with their feet. She detects the nectar she needs each night to refuel. These adaptations make her a master of migration.

In 1973 the Urquart's received a letter it was the breakthrough they had been waiting for. A fellow in Mexico City had read his article about monarchs in a local paper. Kenneth G. Brugger had found an area in the Madre Occidental mountain range about 120 miles due west of Mexico city; where butterflies lined the road in evergreen trees much more than to be expected. Many monarchs had been brought down by a rainstorm. These findings showed that Monarchs flew a lot further south than expected.  Brugger was an inventor working in Mexico.

Ken and his wife Catalina travelled long distances in search of the Monarchs.

It was a memory of Catalina as a childhood that proved to be an important clue. As a child Catalina celebrated the “Day of the Dead Festival”. In the states of Mexico and Michoacan are places where Monarchs can be seen drifting through the cemeteries. Catalina went to a cemetery and felt the butterflies were heading to the mountains, she felt the mountain held the answer. In the winter of 1975 Ken and Catalina set out for the mountain top of Cerro Pelon there they found Monarchs hundreds per branch in trees. In January 1975 Ken called Fred Urquart telling him they had found the Monarchs winter home, millions of Monarchs high in the mountains. 

Every autumn Monarchs fly south in the millions from the Great Lakes through Texas; funneling towards a few forested peaks amongst thousands in Mexico.

Monarchs winter in the evergreen forest 10,000 feet high where it is cool with just the right amount of moisture. The monarch cluster for warmth and live off fat reserves until spring. Monarchs face challenges; many of the trees have been cut down. As the climate changes the combination of cold and wet storms kills millions. For the survivors it is a winter sanctuary.

January 9, 1976 the Urquarts made the trek to Mexico despite warnings from Fred's doctor. Gordon Pinsent plays Fred going to the actual site where the Urquarts went, there are millions of Monarchs in trees and flying around.

Fred found a Monarch with one of his Canadian tags, number 397 still alive lying on the ground. He had indisputable truth of an incredible journey. He had finally resolved an age old scientific mystery.

Fred and Nora were given the “Order of Canada”; for making one of the greatest natural history discoveries of our time.

The Monarchs' winter home was declared a world heritage site in 2008.

In the spring when it warms up the Monarchs begin to mate. Soon the Monarchs remarkable annual cycle will begin again; as it has for thousands of years.

If U would like to see more then look at: Monarch Conservation and Preservation cbc.ca/natureofthings.

Telling the story of the Monarch was a technological challenge because the film was originally shot for IMAX giant screen and 3 D cinemas, it involved a created team from Canada, Mexico and the U.K. IT was amazing to see a behind of scene glimpse of how they worked with the butterflies. For instance a helicopter is filming simulating the flight of a butterfly. The helicopter goes as close to the houses as possible and then a visual effect is created by a complicated 50 foot crane the same height as the last helicopter shot with a camera mounted on it is moved as if a Monarch is flying over the fence, then it shows a Monarch on a flower. Director & Co-Writer says:” In the movie it will feel like a butterfly comes in from 600 feet right down to landing on a flower.”   They used CT scans to show how a butterfly forms inside a chrysalis it was if it was transforming in front of ur very eyes. This piece of science was a first.

Peter Parks the leading person in the world to get macro and stereo imagery. Peter said: “I must admit I will be delighted by it when we get it right and what is particularly nice is seeing animals behaving naturally in front of a camera.”

To make it look as if Fred (Gordon Pinsent) and Nora Urquart were just arriving at the butterflies winter home it was a huge challenge. In one case a crane weighing 1500 kilos had to be carried up a long path over rocks through gullies by hand. The arm of a crane weighed 600 kilograms and that had to be carried by 20 guys. Gordon Pinsent said playing the role of Fred Urquart ”...is very much the happiest thing he has done in a long while and he has seen it in the faces of the crew members and all of the actors as well...U can't stop looking at this phenomena, this incredible unforgettable phenomena. I knew nothing about butterflies until I learned about a man called Fred Urquart.” At the time of Dr. Urquart discovery of the Monarchs winter home there were about a billion and now their down to half a billion. Monarch numbers are dropping sharply. Sixty million butterflies wintered in Mexico in 2012, a record low. That number dropped to approximately 33 million in 2013. Researchers attribute the current population decline primarily to the significant loss of milkweed across the Monarch range, as well as severe weather.

Pickering Pollinator Garden to Welcome Butterflies

Butterfly Release Celebrates City's Bicentennial

COMMUNITY Aug 26, 2011 by Moya Dillon Oshawa This Week

PICKERING -- A new garden designed to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies will play host to 200 monarchs as part of Pickering's Bicentennial Butterfly Festival.

The new pollinator garden will be located in Pickering's Alex Robertson Park and is designed to attract pollinator insects and raise awareness about native plants and pollinators. Residents are invited to come out and help plant the new garden during the Butterfly Festival on Saturday, Sept. 10.

"A lot of people don't realize that there are many native pollinators beyond honeybees and butterflies," said Margo Sloan, biodiversity program co-ordinator for OPG.

"This is a way to tell people if they have native plants, and plants with woody stems, that can benefit pollinators and in turn benefit their gardens."

The new garden will contain all native plant species and use no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Ms. Sloan said she hopes the project will show residents that natural can also be beautiful.

"That's something we've been building on for some time and trying to educate the public about," Ms. Sloan said of going pesticide-free.

"We want to stress respect for the environment and encourage people to go with native and natural plants so they know that can also make a beautiful garden. We also want them to see a garden doesn't have to be perfectly maintained and full of chemicals and fertilizers. It can be wild and still be beautiful."

Residents on hand for the planting can also enjoy fun activities including monarch butterfly tagging, creating a bee habitat, pollinator crafts, and a performance by storyteller Kim Wheatley from Shawanaga First Nation Reserve. After the planting, organizers will release 200 monarch butterflies in the garden to celebrate Pickering's bicentennial.

"We wanted to do something different to celebrate the occasion," said Michelle Pearce, co-ordinator of environmental programs for the City of Pickering.

"This seemed like the perfect opportunity for families and individuals to come out and get involved, learn about pollinators, participate in different activities and mark Pickering's bicentennial."

The Bicentennial Butterfly Festival, hosted by Environmental Stewardship Pickering, will be held Saturday, Sept. 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at Alex Robertson Park on Sandy Beach Road in Pickering. The event will kick off at noon with planting and activities, followed by the butterfly release around 2 p.m.

Pickering Gets Fourth Garden Certified by Monarch Watch

News Advertiser September 22, 2016

Pickering-The City's native pollinator gardens in Rick Hull Memorial Park and Maple Ridge Park are the latest in Pickering to be officially certified by Monarch Watch. Monarch Watch, a non-profit education, conservation, and research program, focuseson the monarch butterfly and its habitat.

The species within the City's certified gardens were carefully chosen to ensure they support butterflies in each of their life stages, from nectar plants to feed on, to host plants to lay eggs on.

“It is important to increase action and awareness to help this species, which has significantly declined in the last 20 years,” said Mayor Ryan.” As pollinators, they play an intrinsic role in the health of our environment and community, and through our sustainable Pickering program, we've developed and implemented a number of initiatives to assist not only the monarch butterfly, but also other pollinators. Mayor Ryan took the National Wildlife Mayor's Monarch Pledge earlier this summer. It encourages Mayors in North America to take at least three actions...to address issues that contribute to the loss of this species.... City-created Monarch waystations, as they referred to, in Pickering include Ernie Park and Amberlea Park. Each location is maintained in partnership with a community group or school.

These sights serve to educate the public, and make residents aware of the types of species they too could plant in their own gardens to help not only monarch butterflies, but all pollinators.

Visit www. Pickering.ca/sustainability for more information.

Markham a Monarch Friendly City

April 12, 2016 by Amanda Persico    Markham Economist & Sun

Markham (Ontario, Canada) has declared itself “a monarch friendly city”, saying it is the first city in Canada to make the declaration.

The butterfly-friendly policy includes planting butterfly-friendly habitats such as milkweed and other nectar producing plants on city properties in parks and along naturalized areas as well as adding signage in parks and green spaces and educating residents on the benefits of planting such pollinator plants.

The city's backyard garden program will also include information about plants that attract butterflies and bees.

"Three quarters of the food we eat depends on pollinators like monarch butterflies,” Mayor Frank Scarpitti said. “Markham has an important role to play in educating the public and supporting monarch habitats in our city parks, community gardens, natural spaces, municipal facilities and public lands."

The monarch friendly proclamations started in the United States several years ago with about a dozen cities joining the monarch friendly movement.

The city also partnered with the David Suzuki Foundation to establish butterfly research pods at Milne Dam Conservation Park.

About 20 years ago, it is estimated more than 1 billion monarchs made the epic 8,000-km migration from Mexico to southern Canada.

Three years ago, that number dropped to about 35 million, a 95 per cent decrease, said Jode Rogers, manager of the David Suzuki Foundation's #gotmilkweed and Monarch Manifesto campaigns.

“These are cool critters,” he said. “They are weird and wonderful. They are the flagship of pollinators.”

The decline in numbers can be attributed to two major events: the alarming loss of habitat and wacky weather.

Monarchs Welcome To Richmond Hill

June 20, 2016 www yorkregion.com

Richmond Hill (in Ontario, Canada) is known for being a welcoming place. Now the town is extending that warm welcome to Monarch butterflies.

Councillors voted unanimously last week to sign the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge to help save the endangered species.

The pledge represents a commitment by the town to do its best to restore Monarchs' dwindling habitat by planting native milkweed and nectar plants in public lands, increasing native trees and shrubs in town landscaping and encouraging citizens to take similar measures on their own property.

The move was spearheaded by Ward 4 Councillor David West whose childhood was spent nurturing the bright orange flying insect.

“When I was a child, my father, brother and I raised and released thousands of Monarch butterflies each summer ... and later in life my son and I did the same thing,” he told fellow councillors last week.

In later years, he and his son, Thomas, were able to tag the creatures to help scientists understand their life cycles.

“When I was very little it was easy to find the caterpillars. Almost every milkweed had one. Over the last few years they've been very hard to find.”

In fact, research shows monarch populations have been steadily declining and in the last 20 years, they have decreased by 90 per cent.

“The creatures have a fragile existence.”, West said.

Monarchs migrate from Canada to the same mountainous area of Mexico, hibernate over the winter, and fly back to the Southern United States to reproduce. Their offspring then carry on their parents' journey north to the northern United States and Canada where they reproduce two new generations and finally migrate back to Mexico where their great grandparents overwintered the previous winter.

“If you told me that this cycle had been going on uninterrupted for thousands of years, and it was, in fact, unknown to scientists until the 1970s, I would say that this is completely impossible and the stuff of a Disney movie.”

“Also miraculous”, he said, “was watching the process of tiny caterpillars transform into butterflies”.    (not sure if this was quoted, if not just remove.)

“My dad made a wooden box with a screen for the caterpillars,” he said. “They would climb up to the top of the cage, and attach from their bottom and, hanging upside down, they'd make a J-shape. The skin splits and a chrysalis forms. It becomes consumed by this beautiful greenness and then an emerald chrysalis with gold dots, it's like a work of art. A few weeks later U see this black body forming and then the emergence - this ugly giant bloated caterpillar with wilted-up things that are its wings struggles out and then it waits while the wings pump up ... and then it flies away. It is just a miracle.”

Now the species is in danger of extinction as its habitat and only food source, milkweed, is being threatened by urbanization and herbicide use in agriculture.

“People can sometimes feel a sense of powerlessness when it comes to helping the environment but in this case, there's something we can do,” West said.

Much of what is already happening through the town's environment strategy will help Monarchs and other wildlife; steps outlined in the Mayor's Pledge will further help, he said.

Among the steps to be taken, the town will support milkweed seed collection and propagation through Richmond Hill's Seed Library, create a monarch neighbourhood challenge to create habitats and proclaim June 20 to June 26, 2017 Pollinator Week.

The motion passed last week encourages other municipalities to make a similar pledge.

“I believe it is important, not only to leverage our great work on the environment, but to act as a leader on environmental issues. It is through this cumulative effort that we will make a difference,” West said.

“We have a responsibility as a society to do what we can … so young people in the future will be able to witness the same miracle that as I was able to witness.”

York Region (Ontario, Canada)

York Region residents are living in Canada's first monarch butterfly-friendly region.

The designation, from the United States National Wildlife Federation, recognizes the region's commitment to supporting the endangered butterfly by encouraging residents to create butterfly habitat and supporting the sale and use of native plants.

The designation is one of several efforts by the region to promote the environment through its Greening Strategy.

“York regional council's investment in the Greening Strategy including tree planting and the protection of the forest has many benefits to our communities,” chair Wayne Emmerson said in a statement.

“This is not a one-time action, as we will continue to work with residents and partners to support and preserve green space across York Region.”

Last year, they planted more than 93,000 trees, surpassing its target of 70,000 trees and shrubs.

The region's current tree canopy is 31 per cent, moving it closer to its goal of 35 per cent by 2031.

The region also achieved LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) platinum certification on the Bill Fisch Forest and Stewardship Education Centre and collaborated with the Evergreen Foundation and the region's school boards on greening pilot projects and designing outdoor learning spaces.

Planting a Butterfly Friendly Garden

GOODLIFE MAGAZINE - “When designing a butterfly garden, you have to have two types of plants,” says Murray Ogilvie, who has a pollinator garden in his yard and who, with his wife, Joanne Brown, designed the butterfly garden at Doane House Hospice in Newmarket. “You need nectar plants for the butterfly to feed upon, but you also host plants where eggs are laid and upon which the hatched caterpillars eat.”

Butterflies, like bees and hummingbirds, dine on nectar in flowers. But not all flowers are created equal. Butterflies are most attracted to purple and yellow flowers and prefer simple open blooms that allow easy access to nectar. Most importantly, they prefer old-fashioned varieties over modern hybrids (breeding hybrids creates gorgeous flowers, but usually less nectar).

Many wildlife biologists recommend growing native plants if u're interested in attracting butterflies to ur garden. This is because for centuries, butterflies-as well as other pollinating insects and birds-have evolved along with indigenous plants naturally dependent on them for their habitat and survival. For an example, look no further than the monarch butterfly.

“Monarch butterflies will feed on any plant, but will only lay eggs on milkweed,” explains Ogilvie. “The fact that milkweed were once considered a noxious weed and were widely exterminated had catastrophic repercussions on the monarch butterfly population. They had nothing to lay their eggs on and so numbers plummeted.”

It's important to include both annual and perennial plants to provide blooms from spring to late fall, providing pollen and nectar sources throughout the season. For this reason, it's best to select varieties with long bloom periods.

“Ideal flowers include rue, sage and Queen Anne's lace for swallowtail butterflies, joe-pye weed, purple cone flower, cardinal flower,” explains Ogilvie.

While most people just think of flowers when it comes to attracting butterflies, don't overlook flowering trees and shrubs. Hydrangea, lilac, potentilla, privet, rhododendron, rose of sharon, sumac and summersweet all produce plenty of nectar for butterflies.

In addition to nectar, butterflies need fresh water for sustenance. Butterflies, like all insects, need to hydrate so consider adding a birdbath. Although they are happy with plain old water, butterflies really like mineral water-but not the kind U'd serve ur human guests. Fill a shallow pan with sand or gravel and wet the sand or gravel well. Butterflies can suck the water right out of the sand or off the rocks and minerals that come off the sand/gravel make it an energy drink. In either event, make sure to change the water daily.

Butterflies don't generate their own body heat. Instead, they bask in the sun until they are warm enough to go about their daily tasks. Provide a resting spot-a flat stone, tile or garden ornament - placed in the sun for butterflies to bask and absorb heat to raise their body temperature. Just about any sunny spot will make them happy, though butterflies seem to prefer light-coloured stones for sunbathing. If the sandy watering hole described above is in the sun, butterflies will use it for both basking and drinking.

All animals require shelter and butterflies are no different. They like to stay out of the wind, so try to place ur flowers, host plants and especially the basking site in an area that's sheltered by a fence, building or hedge.

Leave dead trees, rotting logs, brush and mulch to provide protection from weather and predators. Such spots will also provide areas for soil nesting and overwintering sites. There are lots of ready-made butterfly houses available on the market, but research shows butterflies rarely use them. To make ur own butterfly house, simply stack some firewood among or near flowerbeds; butterflies will congregate in the hollows between.

Finally, to encourage butterflies-and indeed a healthy ecosystem all-around-it's best to garden as naturally as possible. Avoid using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, as well as botanical insecticides. Spot spray instead of broadcast spray and use predatory insects if possible or remove pest by hand.

“Don't get overwhelmed, just get started,” says Ogilvie when asked how he would recommend someone begin a butterfly garden. “You can get bogged down in all the plant varieties and in trying to make the perfect butterfly haven to start. You don't need to. You're better off just doing something, maybe start with a few plants and build from there. Like any garden, a butterfly garden can be a work in progress over a number of years.”

Butterflies are vital to eco-systems in which they live, but sadly are in dramatic decline. By designing a yard that's attractive to these stunning winged-insects, U'll not only boost the beauty and vibrancy of ur gardens but also will be assisting in ensuring butterfly populations-and by extension, our environment-remains healthy. It's win-win.

The Monarch and the David Suzuki Foundation

By David Suzuki with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation communications strategist Jode Roberts.

Three years ago, the eastern monarch butterfly population plummeted to 35 million, a drop of more than 95 per cent since the 1990s. More than a billion milkweed plants, which monarchs depend on for survival, had been lost throughout the butterfly's migratory range - from overwintering sites in Mexico to summer habitat in Canada. We needed more milkweed in the ground, quickly. But many provinces and states listed the plant as "noxious", and few nurseries and garden centres carried local "weeds". A lot has changed in three years. The David Suzuki Foundation launched its #gotmilkweed campaign in April 2013 to encourage Toronto residents to plant milkweed in yards and on balconies. Foundation volunteer Homegrown Park Rangers also planted milkweed in local parks and schoolyards. The Ontario government pulled the plant from its naughty list and media stories about the monarchs' plight took flight.

By winter 2015, the #gotmilkweed campaign had inspired more than 10,000 milkweed plantings in Toronto, with another 11,000 people across the country pledging to help monarchs via the Monarch Manifesto. This week, the 2016 #gotmilkweed campaign launched, offering milkweed plants in Toronto and Montreal and seed packets for the rest of the country. As author and urban gardening guru Lorraine Johnson noted, these and other campaigns have made milkweed the hottest native plant on the market.

How are monarchs doing? Last month, Mexican authorities estimated the population that survived the epic 5,000-kilometre journey from Canada and the U.S. Midwest last fall was three-and-a-half times greater than the year before. Media across the continent ran stories about the comeback. Then the weather turned. The worst winter storm in more than 30 years hit the mountainous forest where eastern monarchs overwinter, killing as many as 11 million. Scientists worried the damage would be even greater, such as in 2002 when a storm wiped out more than 220 million monarchs.

According to a recent study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and U.S. Geological Survey, published in Scientific Reports, eastern monarchs face a significant risk of extinction, with quasi-extinction - when so few are left that recovery is impossible - occurring over the next 20 years.

Severe weather is a major threat to monarchs, from winter storms in Mexico to scorching summer droughts in their breeding grounds. Near eradication of milkweed along parts of their migratory route is an even more pressing concern. Milkweed has long been found in roadsides, ditches, medians, meadows and fields. But sprawling development coupled with a dramatic increase in use of the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) has killed tens of millions of the plants.

No one knows what the future holds for monarch butterflies. But there's reason to be encouraged. U.S. federal agencies have offered millions in funding, and dozens of government agencies and conservation groups are working with projects like the Monarch Joint Venture. The U.S. Environmental Defense Fund is developing the innovative Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange, allowing landowners to get paid for opening marginal land to butterflies.

In Canada, while the federal government remains quiet, a handful of researchers and municipalities - and thousands of concerned individuals - are leading the charge. Since last fall, the David Suzuki Foundation has worked with University of Guelph conservation biologist Tyler Flockhart to assess how to best manage linear infrastructure corridors - transmission lines, railways and highways - as potential "butterflyways." We hope the results will help establish best practices and make an economic case for boosting milkweed and monarchs throughout North American corridors.

Many cities are aiming to make space for bees and butterflies, but the City of Markham wants to become one of the most monarch-friendly municipalities on the continent. This winter, the Ontario city committed to creating the world's first municipal milkweed nursery, in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation. It recently became the first Canadian city to sign a mayoral monarch pledge, and has started posting "butterfly parking signs" in city parks.

Although milkweed is spreading and monarch numbers have bounced back from historic lows, the population remains more than 80 per cent lower than 20 years ago. This summer, the great-grandkids of butterflies we welcomed last year will return to Canada. I encourage U to continue bringing them home, one milkweed plant at a time.