The Grade 1 class at Wembley Public school recently released 5 Monarch butterflies to begin their 4000 km journey to Mexico where they will overwinter. The class began studying these monarchs as caterpillars and have watched them advance through their life cycle.
During the summer months, monarch butterflies are found across many Canadian provinces and in the U.S. Their caterpillars feed only on milkweed, a native roadside plant. With the longer nights and cooler temperatures of September, adult monarchs begin their 4000 kilometre journey to Mexico, making them the longest migration of any insect in the world. These monarchs overwinter at high elevations in the mountains west of Mexico City. In the spring, their great-grandchildren return to complete the annual cycle.
The monarch migration is considered endangered because of the many threats these insects face. Pesticide use across North America kills monarchs and the plants they depend upon while legal and illegal logging in the Mexican mountains also threatens their habitat. Urban sprawl and global worming also take their toll. Canada, the U.S, and Mexico must work together to protect future generations of this magnificent insect. . |
