In the fall of 2019, 46 ultra runners with the Monarch Ultra Relay Run followed the threatened monarch butterfly’s 4,300-kilometre migratory path from Peterborough to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in central Mexico.
When the Monarch Ultra arrived in Mexico, sharing their message of pollinator conservation with the hopes of bringing worldwide attention to the plight of the monarch and other pollinators, they were warmly greeted and overwhelmed with support from Mexico’s federal government, municipalities, running groups, conservation groups, and businesses.
Now Peterborough has the chance to welcome a delegation from the city of Zitácuaro in Mexico — located in the foothills of the over-wintering habitat of monarch butterflies and near to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a world heritage site — at the “Zitacuaro Summit” at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.
The Mexican delegation, which includes Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac — Presidente Municipal (Mayor) of Zitácuaro — and tourism and ecology ministers from the Mexican government, will be sharing a message on monarch conservation and Indigenous knowledge with the Peterborough community.
In July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature officially designated the migratory monarch butterfly as endangered, with the native population shrinking by between 22 and 72 per cent over the past decade, largely due to human-caused destruction of milkweed (the host plant that monarch larvae feed upon) and deforestation of the monarch’s over-winter habitat.
The Zitacuaro Summit is an opportunity to learn more about how the Zitácuaro community is protecting monarch butterflies — including by planting 200,000 trees in the forest sanctuaries — and how the monarch butterfly influences Zitácuaro Indigenous culture, including clothing, music, and traditions like Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
“This international event will strengthen our cause for monarch conservation once our community discovers the significant connection that exists between Peterborough and Zitácuaro,” says Carlotta James, co-founder of the Monarch Ultra. “These two communities care a lot about environmental action, and thanks to monarch butterflies, they have brought us together on a shared journey of cultural exchange.”
Local artists are also invited to create and donate monarch-inspired art for a “Migration of Art” exhibit that will be displayed at the Market Hall during the Zitacuaro Summit.
The artwork will then go on a “migration” of its own to Zitácuaro in Mexico, where it will be displayed on November 22 in a local gallery at the ancient pyramids of San Felipe los Alzati in Michoacán, as part of the International Monarch Butterfly Festival.
The Zitacuaro Summit will also feature a performance by Indigenous artists and a presentation by Zitácuaro Mayor Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac. Light refreshments will be served. Note the Zitacuaro Summit will be filmed as part of a documentary on the Monarch Ultra.
The event is free to the public thanks to a grant by the United Way of Peterborough & District’s Neighbourhood Fund. To register for the Zitacuaro Summit, visit eventbrite.ca/e/403125056897.
Along with participating in the Zitacuaro Summit, on September 10 the Mexican delegation will tour one of Canada’s most sustainable buildings at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre, watch a fire
ceremony in the tipi, and participated in a monarch butterfly release.
On September 11, the Mexican delegation will visit Curve Lake First Nation to connect with the Anishinaabe community, as well as to learn about local Indigenous practices and traditions.
“Curve Lake is honoured to host the delegation from Zitácuaro, Mexico,” says Elder Dorothy Taylor. “The monarch butterfly is a diminishing ecological icon which we must all work to conserve now and
into the future.”
For more information about the Monarch Ultra, visit www.themonarchultra.com.
This story has been updated with additional details.
