A national not-for-profit wildlife conservation group is expanding its efforts to protect the Monarch butterfly, which frequents areas of Chatham-Kent.
The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) has established networks across eastern and southern Ontario and partnered with agricultural producers, municipalities, and conservation authorities in an effort to create meadow habitats for the insects.
CWF has also developed an Ontario Monarch ambassador program to uncover the butterfly’s migratory routes and roosting areas. Known important roosting sites occur along the shores of Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
The federal government formally listed the Monarch butterfly as an endangered species in December 2023.
In the past four years, CWF and its partners have restored 1,760 hectares of pollinator habitat in Ontario. The public is also encouraged to support the Monarch butterfly by planting nectar-rich native wildflowers, such as milkweed species native to the area.
