The monarch is here!

Yesterday, we discovered a beautiful monarch butterfly sipping nectar from one of our garden plants. Now, what is so special about a monarch butterfly, you ask? Well, they are pretty rare these days.
Do you know much about monarchs? I can give you a very brief overview, starting with the fact that the monarch butterfly exhibits the most highly evolved migration pattern of any known species of butterfly or moth and perhaps any known insect. Each fall, monarchs set out on an incredible 4,000-to-5,000-kilometre journey from southern Canada to their wintering sites in the mountain forests of Mexico. This is one of the world’s longest insect migrations!
            Sadly however, monarchs are threatened by deforestation of wintering forests in Mexico, disruptions to their migration caused by climate change, and the loss of native plants along their migratory corridors. The increased frequency and severity of weather events is also contributing to reduced numbers.
            Now you know why I was excited to see the monarch butterfly yesterday. That’s it in the photo from yesterday (recognizable by the two pairs of brilliant orange, black-veined wings with white spots towards the edges).
            And if you want to go deeper, monarchs butterflies are powerful and beloved insects, symbols of resilience in urban environments and a familiar sight to herald summer in rural areas. In Mexico, their presence has an even deeper meaning: tradition holds the monarchs as the returning spirits of loved ones who have died.

---