Monarch Day at Canada's Naturium/ Toronto Monarch Movement

[donald.davis at utoronto.ca]

I've just learned that John Powers of Cambridge, Ontario is holding
Monarch Day today, September 13th, at the information centre of Canada's
Naturium Building Site, located at 3500 Kossuth Road, Cambridge, Ontario.
John will be taagging and releasing hundreds of monarch butterflies.

 John is a former police officer and entrepreneur - a very talented
gentleman who's goal is to build a butterfly conservatory and educational
centre. John is already well known for a number of other ventures,
including Flying Jewels Inc., Incredible World of Insects travelling
exhibit, Creative Powers, Small Fry Snack Foods Inc., and other
successful ventures. John has successfully raised the funds for the
construction of the Naturium through partnerships with major
corporations, and construction may begin soon. Lifetime memberships are
available at $25.00 and membership cards and lapel pins will be mailed
out shortly. There is presently an information site, building plans and a
model of the building John has named "Wings of Paradise". John can be
reached at Canada's Naturium, Box 1995, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S8.

John certainly picked an excellent weekend for his Monarch Day.
Yesterday, September 12th, hundreds of monarchs flapped and soared along
the Toronto waterfront, with hundreds stopping to feed on the goldrod of
Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street Spit). I also found one larve -
suggesting that more monarchs are yet to come. It was about this time
last year that 350,000 to 500,000 monarchs passed through Point Pelee
National Park during a 4 hour period (on September 17th).

Please alert any classroom teachers or schools you know that the paper
monarch butterflies being sent to the Children's Museum in Mexico as part
of the 2nd Journey South project must be postparked by October 10th. For
instructions, go to: http://www.learner.org/k12/jnorth, and click on
"Today's News". As noted earlier, last year 40,000 paper monarchs
weighing 860 pounds successfully made the round trip - each bearing a
message of greeting from the sender.

Canadian readers might watch for a monarch article in the Monday,
September 15th issue of The Toronto Star, and possible photos of myself
taken yesterday on the Leslie Street Spit.

Don Davis
Toronto, ON

donald_davis at stubbs.woodsworth.utoronto.ca