Category: mm_news

By Daphné Laurier Montpetit Mission Monarch coordinator   If my first experience running a half marathon taught me something, it’s that 21 kilometers is long! Imagine the 4000 km that monarchs must travel to reach their wintering grounds. As the first champions are crossing the finish line of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, one wonders… Continue reading Why do monarchs migrate?

By Daphné Laurier Montpetit Mission Monarch coordinator Tree leaves are becoming as bright as monarchs’ wings, and it’s time to say goodbye to our favorite butterflies. The monarchs you observed during summer (maybe even as caterpillars!) are leaving us for the trip of a lifetime. As you are reading this, they are travelling towards the… Continue reading “So long, and thanks for the milkweed!”

By Daphné Laurier Montpetit Coordinator of the Mission monarch project … but not all orange butterflies are monarchs ! At the beginning of summer, we might be impatient to see a familiar black and orange butterfly, but we must stay vigilent. Butterfly species that are not monarchs show similar patterns and colors. Even the best… Continue reading All monarchs are orange…

By Maxim Larrivée North-American migratorial monarch populations have dramatically diminished over the last 20 years. During the winter of 2014, they reached their lowest overwintering population size in Mexico since the beginning of monitoring that began over twenty years ago. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of migratorial monarchs breed in Canada each… Continue reading Mission Monarch – the science behind the citizen science

By Daphné Laurier Montpetit Mission Monarch coordinator Let’s start the mission! So here you are, ready to help saving monarch butterflies. You might be feeling a little confused with all these instructions, though. No problem! This blog tells you all you need to know to complete your mission! Click on the links to get to… Continue reading Everything you need to know about Mission Monarch

By Sonya Charest As a monarch passionate, you are undoubtedly hoping to observe dozens and dozens during your outings in the field and this is clearly what we wish you. However, nothing is ever guaranteed in nature. If you come back empty handed from observation outings, don’t despair. Your data is as valuable for research.… Continue reading How many monarchs will you see this summer?