Ultra-runners retrace monarch butterflies’ endangered migration route

A group of marathoners, conservationists and filmmakers ran 4,000 kilometers from Ontario to Mexico to raise awareness about the environmental threats facing monarch butterflies, whose population has plummeted in recent decades.

Elaine Anselmi reports for The Narwhal.

In short:

• The Monarch Ultra Documentary captures a 2019 run tracing the monarch butterfly migration to highlight their population decline.
• Monarchs face habitat destruction, pesticide exposure and climate change as they migrate from Canada to Mexico.
• The documentary underscores how human activities impact wildlife and ecosystems, urging local conservation efforts.

Key quote:

“We make decisions on the environment from an office, or we talk so much about how we need to do this on the environment or that, from the comfort of our homes.”

— Rodney Fuentes, filmmaker

Why this matters:

The steep decline of monarch butterflies signals broader biodiversity loss. The documentary shows how conservation efforts and individual actions, like planting milkweed, can help protect the species and the habitats they rely on.

Related:

• Monarch butterfly numbers decline sharply in Mexico
• UK nature chief warns butterfly decline signals ecosystem collapse
• Midwest butterfly decline tied to insecticides, study finds