The iconic Monarch butterfly is now classified as ENDANGERED by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the last 20 years, the North American monarch butterfly population has plummeted by an alarming 90%. These tiny, delicate creatures could soon disappear off the face of the Earth if we don’t act quickly to protect them.
 
The iconic Monarch butterfly is now classified as ENDANGERED by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the last 20 years, the North American monarch butterfly population has plummeted by an alarming 90%. These tiny, delicate creatures could soon disappear off the face of the Earth if we don’t act quickly to protect them.

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Scott NelsonOn September 10, 2022, Manish Mehta from Windsor ON, Canada wrote this to kick off the 60,000 Tree Challenge North American Boxcar Tour to Help Save the Monarch Butterfly.
 
The iconic Monarch butterfly is now classified as ENDANGERED by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the last 20 years, the North American monarch butterfly population has plummeted by an alarming 90%. These tiny, delicate creatures could soon disappear off the face of the Earth if we don’t act quickly to protect them.
 
Under the ESRAG’s stewardship, Rotary International President Jennifer Jones has taken a stand for supporting Monarch butterflies and our planet by organizing a partnership with multiple entities to provide public education and encouraging planting of pollinator gardens (60,000 new trees) via the Operation Pollination Partnership, symbolized with a Canadian Pacific Boxcar ride that traces the annual migratory journey of the Monarch Butterfly (or is it flutter-by?!) starting from Windsor, Canada, through the US Midwest heartland and ending in Monterrey in Michoacán State of Mexico. The rail Boxcar journey parallels the flight of these amazing pollinators- it starts in Windsor this weekend and ends on November 5th in Mexico (winter resting location of The Monarch).
 
Communities and Rotary clubs along the 3500 mile journey are encouraged to plant pollinator gardens to attract and help the Monarch succeed and survive this grueling annual migration.
 
Today’s beautiful launch event concluded with a release of newly hatched Monarch butterflies, and a signing by several Rotary districts of the Pollinator Pledge organized by Scott R Nelson and Chris Stein of US National Park Service.
 
Delighted to see four representatives of our Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North, plus District Governor Bala Murthy of Rotary District 6380, PDG Jane McManus, Mike McManus of Brighton and the DGs of Rotary District 6400, and Rotary District 6360 working together on this important cause to protect the Monarch!