National Butterflyway Rangers
Wild pollinators such as butterflies, bees and birds are crucial to human survival. Climate change and widespread pesticide use are compromising their habitat and food sources. The national Butterflyway Project aims to help people step up efforts to help pollinators find food and shelter.
This year, Butterflyway Rangers will expand the scope of their work from past seasons. They will:
- Plant native wildflowers for butterflies and other wild pollinators in and around their neighbourhoods
- Encourage friends, neighbours and school communities to plant pollinator gardens
- Help build and promote municipal- and neighbourhood-scale highways of pollinator habitat
- Explore the relationship between indigenous plants, wild pollinators and humans
Ranger recruitment begins March 6. We’ll notify selected Rangers before the end of March in order to join one of our webinars on April 6, May 9 and June 15.
If you are passionate about native plants and wild pollinators like butterflies, bees and birds, join the Butterflyway Project! You’ll make a real difference for critical species humans depend on for food and well-being every day.
National Butterflyway Schools
For the first time, we’re recruiting a dozen schools in 15 cities across Canada to participate. It’s a great way to get students learning more about pollinators and involved in their protection.
Schools recruitment also begins March 6. We’ll notify selected schools before the end of March in order to join our webinar on April 16.
About the Butterflyway Project
The Butterflyway Project is a citizen-led movement that’s bringing nature home to neighbourhoods throughout Canada, one butterfly-friendly planting at a time.
The Butterflyway Project began in five cities in 2017. We recruited a team of volunteer Butterflyway Rangers in each community. Their mission was to plant native wildflowers in yards, schoolyards, streets and parks to support local bees and butterflies. Their goal was to establish local “Butterflyways” by planting at least a dozen pollinator patches in each neighbourhood.
Over the past three years, 447 Butterflyway Rangers have been recruited and trained. Rangers have connected with neighbours, schools, city agencies, businesses and community groups. To date, they have helped get 28,908 butterfly-friendly wildflowers into the ground and create over 750 pollinator patches, establishing Butterflyways in nine communities!
The Butterflyway Project shows that a small group of residents can make a big difference. Rangers are making their communities greener and healthier by creating opportunities, connecting people and championing fun ideas. Check out some of their stories below to get inspired!
Want to join the fun? In early 2020, we will be recruiting Rangers for in-person training sessions in three B.C. communities, plus Scarborough, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. We’ll also be recruiting 40 awesome people who will receive online Ranger training and be tasked with organizing small local Butterflyway teams. And our new Butterflyway Schools project aims to get free wildflower plant kits to schools in 15 cities.
The Butterflyway Project is based on our Homegrown National Park Project, an award-winning, citizen-led project that created butterfly-friendly corridors in three Toronto neighbourhoods.
National Butterflyway Programs
British Columbia Butterflyways
Ontario Butterflyways
Butterflyway stories
Tools and resources
Mayors' monarch pledge
Become a monarch-friendly community!
Communities across North America are taking action to help save the monarch butterfly. Contact your mayor and/or local government agency and ask them to come on board!
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