The popular Monarchs and Migrants Weekend is returning for the Labour Day long-weekend at Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton.
The full, two-day event – hosted Saturday, Aug. 30 and Sunday, Aug. 31 – shines a light on the fall migration of birds, butterflies and insects.
Park staff and volunteers, alongside the Friends of Presqu’ile Park, are gearing up for the big weekend, which features bird banding demonstrations, live monarch butterfly tagging, and more.
Special guest Don Davis – who’s been tagging monarch butterflies at Presqu’ile for decades – is back on Saturday afternoon for live tagging and will help attendees learn more about the significance of the species and their annual migration.
The annual event is hosted at the start of September as it’s the best time to see species heading south. The bonus is that insect migrants are also more noticeable this time of year, so visitors get to see birds and insects all in one weekend, note organizers. (Migrating monarch butterflies are particularly more visible during the first two weeks in September in Presqu’ile.)
Activities start at 8 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. both days.
In addition to the bird banding and guided bird walks on Owen Point Trail – which help visitors get up-close with several species – there will be children’s programming at the Nature Centre.
The Lighthouse Interpretive Centre and Friends of Presqu’ile Gift Shop are also open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. And the Friends of Presqu’ile Park host their annual fundraising barbecue for the season at the amphitheatre Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Friends is described as a charitable organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural heritage of Presqu’ile Provincial Park. Its volunteers work to enhance educational opportunities for visitors and help with park activities.
The organization also helps with funding for environmental and educational projects and has contributed more than $5 million in funds and volunteer hours to the park since 1988.
A more detailed schedule on this weekend’s lineup is accessible online and around the park. MBC will be catching up with the Friends’ Bev Cook ahead of the big event.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)