P.E.I. group to give monarch butterflies a boost
A P.E.I. environmental group wants to help increase the number of monarch butterflies. Monarchs are an international species of concern, and this fall, they may be designated as a species at risk.
The Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Association is now doing what it can to help.
Tracy Brown, the executive director of the association, says the decreasing population could be blamed on less habitat.
"When they migrate, they have to go from food source to food source," she said. "So when they're on their migration, if they get to a section with no food source, until they get to the next section they're going to be in desperate need."
Her group is encouraging people to grow more food to fuel the butterflies.
"Even small pollinator gardens along an area will give them food as they move through a habitat."
Darryl Lentz, who owns a pottery business in Borden-Carleton, is acting on Brown's suggestion. He's growing plants aimed at enticing butterflies.
"We could go to a garden store and just buy some nice looking plants, but we also want to support the diversity of the species here, native to P.E.I.," he said.
The group is also starting a P.E.I. branch of the Monarch Teachers Network. They'll be working with teachers and children to tag migrating monarchs. That project starts in August.