GET INVOLVED IN MONARCH CONSERVATION!
Telling this story through our documentary film is of utmost importance, not only to inform people about the delicate state of pollinators and the environment, but also as a call to action to help save monarchs and other pollinators. How we engage with our communities to do their part to fight climate change and build a more sustainable world is integral to the survival of the human species. Our project provides an opportunity to raise awareness of pollinators and their significance to biodiversity and food security. The Monarch Ultra team hopes to see the monarch butterfly become a symbol of resilience, strength and inspiration that motivates people into conservation action. We also hope that our ultra marathon is just the beginning of a larger movement to help protect pollinator species worldwide.
5 WAYS TO SUPPORT MONARCH CONSERVATION:
  1. Create and preserve pollinator habitat, including planting milkweed and other nectar-rich plants. The image to the right (8 plants to attract butterflies) includes these flowers: Milkweed, Goldrenrod, Blazing Star, Culver's Root,  Lupine, Joe-Pye weed, Black-eyed Susan, and Purple Coneflower. 
  2. Join Journey North citizen scientists as they track monarch butterfly migrations each fall & spring.
  3. Use nature-friendly products and avoid pesticides. For more information, visit Pollinator Partnership's website.
  4. Spread the word that milkweed is a beneficial, host plant for the monarch butterfly.
  5. Visit our fundraising page to learn more about supporting the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Zitácuaro, Mexico.
HOW LONG IS THE MONARCH MIGRATION?
​Each fall, monarch butterflies migrate from eastern North America to Mexico, a distance of over 4,000km. (Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains migrate to California.) Millions of monarchs gather in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico in the oyamel fir forests and stay there for the winter. In the spring, monarchs begin their journey back north. On their northern migration, monarchs mate and lay eggs.  This happens two, three or four times during the northern migration. The butterflies that complete the return journey are the offspring of those that left in the fall - the super monarchs. 
WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MILKWEED?
Once you make the connection between milkweed and monarchs, it's easy to see that this plant is a superpower in the world of pollinators. The monarch's interdependence with this plant means that milkweed is the only host plant capable of sustaining its larvae. You can support monarchs by planting milkweed! Monarchs usually lay only one egg per plant to ensure each new larva has plenty to eat. We need gardeners, schools, and municipalities across North America to get involved by planting milkweed and creating pollinator-friendly habitats for monarchs and other pollinators to survive and thrive!