Kimberley, Canada launches monarch butterfly monitoring blitz

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is inviting residents of Kimberley, British Columbia, to participate in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, a continent‑wide citizen‑science project marking its 10th anniversary. From July 31 to August 9, volunteers can record sightings of monarch butterflies, caterpillars, eggs, chrysalises and milkweed plants using iNaturalist Canada or Mission Monarch, helping to build a shared data set that informs conservation strategies across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Project leaders emphasize the importance of the effort for protecting the species, noting that monarchs rely exclusively on milkweed for larval development and that habitat loss threatens their survival. The initiative aims to double the previous year’s volunteer count of about 9,000 participants, with data feeding into a comprehensive, cross‑border picture of breeding habitat.

James Pagé, a biodiversity specialist with the CWF, and Maxim Larrivée, director of the Insectarium de Montréal, highlighted the role of community scientists in strengthening collaborative conservation across the three nations.