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Monarch educational garden – Monarch-Friendly City certification from the David Suzuki Foundation
The mayor of the City of Pointe-Claire, John Belvedere, is proud to announce that the David Suzuki Foundation has awarded the City Bronze-level certification as a Monarch-Friendly City for its actions to restore the monarchs’ habitat and educate residents about saving this endangered butterfly.
“Monarchs play a vital role in preserving biodiversity, and this certification confirms that we are doing the right thing. Our commitment to preserve this species and protect its habitat is taking shape and is being recognized,” explained Mayor Belvedere.
Among the City’s noteworthy actions that led to this Bronze-level certification are the limited use of pesticides, the right to create natural gardens, and the creation of a monarch butterfly educational garden.
A monarch butterfly celebration took place on July 7 Residents who attended helped release 200 monarchs. The program also included plenty of activities for the whole family, such as face painting, a craft workshop, photo shoots, and an information booth about monarchs and pollinators. Bags of milkweed seeds, the plant on which monarch caterpillars feed, were also distributed.
“Municipalities play a crucial role in the conservation of monarchs and their habitat. They can perform simple actions that have a positive impact on the species and on other pollinators, as well as educate their citizens about the importance of taking part in these conservation efforts. We applaud Pointe-Claire’s commitment to taking concrete action to protect monarchs and their habitat. We hope that Pointe-Claire and its residents will inspire other municipalities to join the massive movement to protect this iconic butterfly,” explained Julie Roy, Public Engagement Specialist at the David Suzuki Foundation.
“We care about developing new projects that ensure biodiversity continues to thrive in our area and we want to give current and future generations the best possible environment,” said Mayor Belvedere in conclusion.
Information: 514-630-1200, communications@pointe-claire.ca