Monarch Butterfly Migration in Canada | A Postcard from Tilly

Tilly’s Friends Are Leaving on One VERY Long Road Trip

A Postcard from Tilly to Polar Boutique HQ

Sent from somewhere in Southern Ontario

Dear Paulette & Jemma,

Something strange is happening. My butterfly friends are leaving. At first, I thought they were just flying around looking for the last good flowers of summer.

But then I noticed more of them. And more. Monarch butterflies — all getting ready to head south. So naturally, I asked where they were going.
Mexico.

MEXICO?!

That's thousands of kilometres away!

I looked at one particularly small monarch and asked if she was sure. She seemed quite confident.

Apparently, monarch butterflies born around this time of year are very special. They can live much longer than the monarchs we see earlier in the summer, which gives them enough time to make the enormous journey south.

And here's the part I still don't understand. They've never been there before.

No map. No GPS. No Great Blue Heron standing at an intersection pointing south. They just know.

I've been watching them stop at flowers along the way for little nectar breaks before continuing their journey. Which seems sensible.

Personally, I wouldn't attempt a trip to Mexico without considerably more snacks.

I waved goodbye to one this morning. “Safe travels!” I called.
She fluttered over my head and disappeared into the distance.

I think she knew exactly where she was going. I'm not sure I can say the same about me.

Love,
Tilly 🐻❄️

P.S. Do butterflies have passports?

Tilly’s Real Monarch Facts 🦋 Everything Tilly discovered in today's postcard is inspired by real monarch butterflies. 🦋 Monarchs from southern Canada can travel thousands of kilometres to their wintering grounds in central Mexico. 🦋 The special generation that migrates south can live for many months, much longer than summer monarch generations. 🦋 They make this extraordinary journey even though they've never made it before. 🦋 Along the way, monarchs stop at flowers for nectar, which gives them energy for their long migration.

Sometimes the biggest adventures begin with very small wings.

Thanks for reading and exploring Canada with us today.

Paulette & Jemma

Polar Boutique
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The story is Tilly's... the discoveries are real.