There will be a free butterfly educational program this weekend with Niagara Parks on September 9 and 10 from 11am-2pm at the Butterfly Conservatory.
This is an amazing opportunity to get involved with a tag and release program that monitors migration patterns of monarch butterflies as part of an international research tracking program called Monarch Watch.
Every half hour the tag and release demonstrations will take place starting at 11:30am in front of the Butterfly Conservatory on the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture.
Monarch butterflies play an important role in pollination across North America and are dependent on native plants like milkweed — which is the only plant that monarch caterpillars feed on.
In the fall, asters and goldenrod are also important to monarchs as the nectar of these native plants provide a food source for their migration south.
The information collected from the Majestic Monarchs tag and release program will be used to determine the number of monarchs in the area, understand their migration and help to provide data that will be considered in the further protection of this species which is considered endangered.
Niagara Parks also supports and educates on pollinators through their pollinator garden route which has 12 stops along the Niagara Parkway from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake, with educational signage designed by local Indigenous artists and writers, which serve as interpretative tools used to enhance the experience of these pollinator gardens.
For more information on this event, visit the website HERE.
