A project inspired by monarch butterflies and a run through Peterborough has grown into a community-wide effort focused on conservation, movement and bringing people together.
Monarch Ultra will hold its annual Monarch Butterfly Festival and races on Saturday, September 19th at Millennium Park.
The project was launched in 2019 and focuses on raising awareness about monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Through races, festivals and other community events, Monarch Ultra also raises funds supporting conservation work at a Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in central Mexico.
Project co-founder, race director and project director Carlota James says the idea behind the project is to connect conservation with community experiences.
The project’s origins stretch back to 2016, when James was running through Jackson Park and began thinking about following the monarch butterfly migration.
After three years of research, fundraising and planning, a team left Peterborough in September 2019 and spent 47 days travelling approximately 4,300 kilometres to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in central Mexico.
The journey helped inspire the events Monarch Ultra continues to organize today.
This year’s event begins with a 1K race at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 10K race at 10 a.m. The festival runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The free festival will feature environmental vendors, live music, dance performances, children’s activities, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt and other activities.
Participants are also being encouraged to dress in monarch butterfly costumes, with prizes planned for the best costumes and top fundraisers.
James says the event is designed for more than experienced runners, with volunteers, families and spectators all invited to take part.
(Written by: Branden Rushton)
