Presentation to NS-EEC meeting on March 20th.

1. Heidi Verheul (heidiv@sierraclub.ca)
Sierra Club Canada-Atlantic Chapter
March 20, 2012
MONARCH TEACHER NETWORK
“Revolutions often start quietly.”

2. BUTTERFLY EFFECT
The Monarch Teacher Network (MTN) is a growing
network of teachers and other people who use
monarch butterflies to teach a variety of concepts
and skills, including our growing connection with
other nations and the need to be responsible
stewards of the environment.

3. 2010 MTN WORKSHOP IN WOLFVILLE
This was the first MTN workshop that was held in Nova Scotia. Educators from around the Maritimes
came to workshop to learn about the Monarch’s story.
The workshops are hands on and very participatory.

4. I BECAME HOOKED!
By handling butterflies, finding caterpillars, and collecting milkweed, I have become a monarch fanatic.
Since the workshops, I have reared many species of caterpillar and released them as moths and
butterflies.

5. 2011 WORKSHOP IN SAINT JOHN
I volunteered for the workshop in Saint John and helped facilitate some of the sessions.
Here Kati is holding a live butterfly for the very first time.

6. PUPA DANCE!!!

7. CROSS CULTURAL TRIPS
 Fellowships available from the Weston
Foundation
 Open to anyone who attends MTN Workshop
 Trips to Mexico or California to visit
overwintering colonies and other sites of
natural history significance

8. 2012 TRIP TO CALIFORNIA
With support from the Weston
foundation I was able to visit California,
with other awesome educators!
This opportunity brought educators
from all over the U.S. and Canada (12
states and provinces) together. It was
truly an energizing and extremely
hopeful experience.

9. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES
Eucalyptus is a non-native fast growing
tree that was planted for wind breaks.
The shaggy bark of the tree has been
attibuted to worsening wild fires in the
region and the flowers of the eucalyptus
may be affecting the monarch
behaviour.

10. RAISE & RELEASE
Some groups in California are raising and releasing butterflies during winter. This may also be
impacting the migratory behaviour of the Western Monarch populations.

11. TREE TYPES
Monarchs prefer specific types of old trees. Cypress preferred over Eucalyptus, but only a few tall cypress
remaining scattered over the state.

12. AMAZING VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF
Docents and part staff were present at every park ready to share their expertise with visitors.

13. EXPLOITATION AND REVITALIZATION
Monterey and surrounding area has a history of exploiting resources to the point of collapse.
Whaling, sealing, sea otter pelts, and a variety of fisheries. Monterey Bay Aquarium was one of
the first to initiate a Seafood Watch Program.

14. NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS
Thought to be extinct in the 1880’s, a handful Northern Elephant Seals were found breeding on
Guadalupe Island off of the Baja Peninsula. First protected by Mexico and then by the U.S., the
Northern Elephant Seal population is now estimated to be somewhere between 150,000 to
200,000.

15. FROM A TEENSY SEED

17. 2012 MTN WORKSHOP-TATAMAGOUCHE, NS
August 16 & 17th will be the 2nd MTN workshop in NS. Please encourage any teachers or child care
professionals to register: www.monarchteacher.ca

18. SIERRA CLUB CANADA-ATLANTIC FUNDRAISER
For every donation, we will “carve” your name or a
message of your choice on a virtual tree on our
website, creating an online forest of support!
Our target is to raise $40,000 by March.
Cheques payable to “Sierra Club Canada - Atlantic
Canada Chapter”
Sierra Club Canada - Atlantic Chapter
1657 Barrington St., Suite 137
Halifax, NS B3J 2A1
Or online here:
http://atlantic.sierraclub.ca/en/donate-0

19. THANK YOU