On Sunday morning, August 6, 2023, nature enthusiasts and conservationists gathered at Pure Conscience Farm, on the Ragged Chute Road in Bristol, for “Mission Monarch”, an event co-hosted by the organization Espace pour la vie / Space for Life, from Montreal. Mission Monarch is a collaborative scientific initiative focused on collecting data about the distribution and population of monarch butterflies and their only habitat, milkweed plants.
The event kicked off with a short presentation by Mission Monarch’s coordinator Alessandro Dieni, who explained about monarch butterflies and their relationship with milkweed. Dieni covered their life stages and migratory habits and also explained how to tell them apart from similar species.
Rather than just offer a formal presentation, Mission Monarch educates attendees on how to collect data on monarch’s throughout all life stages, from egg to butterfly. In the bountiful fields of Pure Conscience Farm, attendees worked diligently to record the presence of monarchs, while enjoying the gorgeous weather and scenic view.
-Grace Richards
