Monarch Ultra Members Invited to International Butterfly Festival in Mexico

Members of the conservation and ultra-marathon organization Monarch Ultra have been invited to the International Monarch Butterfly Festival in Zitácuaro, Mexico from Friday to Sunday.

Carlotta James (left), Gunther Schubert (middle) and local environmentalist Gustavo Zaro (right) visiting El Galán Ecotourism Park in Guanajuato, Mexico in 2019. Photo courtesy of Carlotta James.

Zitácuaro is known as the gateway to the butterfly sanctuaries in the Sierra Madre Mountains, where the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is located. Indigenous groups in Zitácuaro have planted over 200,000 trees in the forest sanctuaries to provide additional habitat for the migrating monarch butterflies.

The Canadian delegation will learn more about environmental action in Zitácuaro and how cities in North America can work together to protect monarch butterflies according to a press release.

Rodney Fuentes is also directing a documentary film about the Monarch Ultra Relay Run, and will visit the forest sanctuaries to film millions of monarch butterflies in their overwintering home.

“Participating in the international festival will strengthen our cause for monarch conservation and create new opportunities for collaboration between Peterborough and Zitácuaro,” said Monarch Ultra co-founder Carlotta James. “Thanks to the beloved monarch butterfly, local yet international, delicate yet resilient, monarch butterflies are bringing together two communities on a shared journey towards greater environmental awareness and action.”

James, Fuentes and Gunther Schubert organized the Monarch Ultra Relay Run in 2019. It was a 4,300 km ultra-marathon that followed the migration of monarch butterflies from Peterborough to Macheros, Mexico.

“We want to learn from the Zitácuaro community and how best we can also contribute to protecting monarch butterflies and all pollinators that are crucial to the health of our ecosystem,” said James. “We believe that environmental action at the local and international level is essential to building stronger, more connected communities. Through this festival, I hope we can continue to be a champion for the monarchs so that future generations can witness the beautiful patterned creature of the skies.”

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