GATINEAU, QC, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Pollinators, such as the Monarch Butterfly, are vital for producing numerous crops, forming a cornerstone of our food security, health, and quality of life. Canada is actively supporting habitat stewardship and conservation projects to restore ecosystems and landscapes that Monarchs need to thrive. These efforts provide a powerful nature-based solution to help halt and reverse biodiversity loss and combat climate change.

Today, during Pollinator Week, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced the Government of Canada is investing up to more than $623,000 in a variety of projects that aim to improve Monarch Butterfly and pollinator habitats in southern Ontario. This work will help to increase the quality, quantity, and connectivity of important breeding and migratory habitats, as well as the availability of native seeds to support habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Projects include:

• Habitat Restoration to Support Species at Risk Recovery in Middlesex County: $189,750 for Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) Middlesex Inc. to conduct environmental stewardship activities on marginal agricultural lands, which will create and enhance Monarch habitats in Middlesex County.
• Project Wingspan: $118,800 for Pollinator Partnership Canada to increase the availability of native seeds to support habitat restoration projects in the Carolinian Zone.
• Restoration of Breeding and Migratory Habitat for Monarchs: up to $258,583 for the Canadian Wildlife Federation to contribute to the recovery of the Monarch population through the creation of nectaring, breeding, and roosting habitats within agricultural and urban landscapes in close proximity to the southern Great Lakes.
• David Dunlap Observatory Phase 3 Meadow Creation: $56,000 for the City of Richmond Hill to increase urban Monarch habitats in Richmond Hill.

This work directly aligns with several targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework, including ecosystem restoration and halting species extinction. It also supports Canada's commitment to the Bonn Challenge, which is a global effort to promote landscape and ecosystem restoration activities. By working together to halt biodiversity loss and prevent the degradation of sensitive ecosystems, we are securing a better future for all living things.

"The Monarch is an iconic species at risk, and as a pollinator, it also plays an important natural role for human health and well-being, as well as for biodiversity. Through the Habitat Stewardship Program and Priority Species at Risk funding, we're supporting projects and partners in safeguarding and restoring habitats that are vital for Monarchs and other pollinators. Working together is key to protecting and restoring wildlife habitats, advancing our efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and promoting species at risk recovery. Together, we can make a difference."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Pollinator Partnership Canada's Project Wingspan supports Monarch Butterflies by securing the native seeds that grow into critical habitats for caterpillars and adult butterflies. Throughout their life cycle, Monarchs face challenges from habitat loss and climate change, fewer milkweeds, fewer nectar plants, and more severe weather. Project Wingspan is boosting our supply of native seeds so that we can all plant for Monarchs. If you plant it, they will come—and thrive!"
– Dr. Victoria Wojcik, Science Director, Pollinator Partnership Canada

• The Government of Canada is committed to working toward halting and reversing nature loss in Canada by 2030 and achieving a full recovery for nature by 2050, as well as conserving 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030.
• The Government of Canada continues to work collaboratively with Canadians, Indigenous communities, stakeholders, and other governments across Canada to protect Monarchs under the Species at Risk Act.
• The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk contributes to Canada's biodiversity and conservation goals by protecting and restoring habitats of species at risk. It supports local actions to steward land, water, animals, and plants, as well as the implementation of the Species at Risk Act.
• Pollinator Week is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated, and is managed, by Pollinator Partnership.
• Pollinator Week 2024 is a celebration of the vital role that pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. Under the theme "Vision 2040: Thriving Ecosystems, Economies, and Agriculture," this year's event urges Canadians to envision a future where pollinators thrive.

• Pollinator Week Canada
• Build a Pollinator Garden
• Building 'Bed & Breakfasts' for Monarchs Along Rural Roads (and Other Rights-of-Way)
• Canada Pledges to Join the Bonn Challenge for Landscape Restoration at COP15
• Canada's 2030 Nature Strategy: Halting and Reversing Biodiversity Loss in Canada

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada