Monarque mission | A great census to help butterflies

Their population is in serious decline. However, But in his Laurentides garden, Johanne Comte observes them without too much trouble. However, A participant assiduous in the monarch mission, she is one of the largest censuses of monarch butterflies in Quebec.

The resident of Saint-Sauveur awaits us in her “nursery”. Moreover, a plot of her land covered with approximately 200 Plants of Asclepia. Consequently, A few weeks ago, she observed a monarch laying live. Meanwhile, Since then, a birth has taken place.

“She’s here!” She says, pointing, under a leaf of asclepia, a translucent baby caterpillar barely monarque mission | great census a few millimeters. In addition, “Look at that! Therefore, She has just a few hours, this one. Moreover, It’s young, that! Therefore, Difficult to believe that two weeks. Moreover, five munes later, the caterpillar will have become a giant of five centimeters with live stripes.

“In two weeks, they have 2700 times their weight!” Exclaims Johanne Comte. For example, It is as if we became great as the statue of freedom. In addition, Asclepia is really fattening, they only eat that. Furthermore, »»

Since she undertook the census of monarchs in 2018, Johanne Comte has accumulated nearly 270 observations of eggs, caterpillars, chrysalides and butterflies. In addition, Each time, she marvels as if it were the first.

From June to September, during the duration of the monarch mission, she goes around her Asclepiad plants every day. In addition, There are nearly 600 in all on his land. Similarly,

“I am able to see monarque mission | great census fairly quickly if there was laying or not,” she says. Nevertheless, While feeding, the caterpillars leave small holes on the Asclepia leaf. For example, Just go back gently to check if there is a caterpillar.

The citizen scientist notes the date. time and place of each of his observations, then connects to the mission platform to enter his data.

Monarque mission | great census

Census blitz

From July monarque mission | great census 25 to August 3. while the presence of monarch butterflies is at its peak in the province, the census intensified with the international monarch followed.

Last year. 5800 citizen scientists participated in this major data collection which takes place both in Canada and in the United States and Mexico.

Participatory science is at the heart of this annual census in which all citizens are called upon to participate. “Mission Monarch would simply not work without these people. like Johanne, who have at heart the fate of the monarch,” said Charles-Étienne Ferland, project manager and coordinator of the educational activities of the Monarch mission to the Montreal insectarium.

“We help butterflies, we help each other,” says Johanne Comte, referring to the role of monarchs in pollination. Helping the monarchs has become its mission. She convinced monarque mission | great census her neighbors to no longer mow the asclepiads on their land.

Regularly, schools and day camps invite him to make presentations. She also raises a few caterpillars that she all call (alpha, delta, pizza, etc.), but “strictly for didactic use”, she assures.

She lets them fly away once they have become butterflies. Over the years, she has attended 75 monarch hatches. One even took place during our visit.

“I would say that it is probably the girl who is the most knowledgeable [sur le papillon monarque]advances her husband. Claude Lévesque, who, by force of things, shares this passion. She takes time and effort. She knows everything about monarchs, it’s incredible. »»

Monarque mission | great census

A loss of 90 %

Over the past 25 years, the population of Monarques has dropped by 90 %. The loss of habitat linked to deforestation. intensification of agriculture and the use of pesticides is the main cause of this decline. Climate change also leads to an increase in extreme weather events on the butterfly migration monarque mission | great census route.

What is the point of continuing to identify the monarchs when their decline is well documented? The objective is not to count the monarchs, but to identify the roads to be protected.

In 2023, the Government of Canada designated the endangered species monarch under the law on species in danger. He undertook to protect the reproduction habitats of the butterfly, but the data is missing.

“We know that the monarch spends winter in Mexico. we know that there is a large part of the population of eastern North America who spends summer in Ontario and Quebec,” notes Charles-Étienne Ferland.

Charles-Étienne Ferland dreams that the free access card, published on the site of the Monarque mission, is used by monarque mission | great census citizen committees, parks managers and municipalities to make conservation decisions.

It is still early to say it with certainty. but the fate of the monarch could be in the process of improving.

According to a recent survey by the Mexican antenna of the Global Fund for Nature (WWF). the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas of Mexico, the population of Eastern Monarchs which winter in Mexico has almost doubled in 2025. An encouraging growth, although this number remains much lower than the long -term average.