THUNDER BAY — A group trying to support the survival of the monarch butterfly is looking for more volunteers.
The non-profit organization Urban Greenscapes is leading the project which features the creation of a monarch butterfly and pollinator garden at the end of Adelaide Street, close to Boulevard Lake.
"They're down to only 10 per cent of their population due mostly to loss of habitat and pesticides...This is a showcase to show how you can raise monarch butterflies either inside or just by planting milkweed specifically, which is the only plant the caterpillars of the monarch butterfly eat," co-ordinator Dan Fulton said.
The City of Thunder Bay granted permission to use a piece of city property about 1100 square metres in size.
It will be the city's largest monarch butterfly garden, and besides milkweed will include other wildflowers, mostly native species such as echinacea, goldenrod and New England aster.
In an interview with Tbnewswatch earlier this year, Fulton said "The butterflies can feed on anything, and it's going to be a pollinator garden for the bees and other insects. By looking after the monarchs, you end up looking after everything else at the same time."
Preparations have already started at the site, but Fulton says the organization needs more people to shovel earth next week.
Work is planned for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Anyone interested in helping can contact Urban Greenscapes through its Facebook page.
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