2023-09-01 19:32:04
The City of Mercier is proud to receive the Monarch Friendly City certification from the David Suzuki Foundation. The certificate confirms the City’s commitment to preserving the monarch’s habitat through five concrete actions. Since the launch of the initiative, more than 340 mayors and municipal leaders have pledged to help save monarchs in North America, including more than 80 in Quebec.
The inauguration took place in the company of representatives of the City of Mercier, namely Marie-Claude Perron, environmental advisor, Lise Michaud, mayor, Jean-Pierre Trudeau, blue collar worker, Philippe Drolet, municipal councilor, district 4, and Ronald Caron, blue collar.
The Mayor of Mercier, Lise Michaud, is proud of the commitment made by the municipality.
“Mercier is committed to preserving the environment for future generations, so certification went hand in hand with our values of sustainable development,” she said. This is why coming to the aid of this migratory insect in serious danger challenged us. We are convinced that the residents of Mercier will join this movement and that our collective efforts will make a difference in this fight for the survival of the butterfly”.
Municipal and civic actions
Here are the first five actions carried out or in progress by the City of Mercier without the framework of its City friend of monarchs certification:
Pass a resolution at City Council to raise awareness of declining monarch populations and the need for this species to create and protect suitable habitats for its survival. Create a monarch-friendly demonstration garden in front of the library entrance. Organize a free distribution of milkweed seeds. Organize community activities to introduce citizens to the monarch and encourage them to create habitat areas. Integrate monarch conservation into the city’s future environmental policy.
Throughout the month of September, citizens are invited to visit the library where a selection of books on the theme of insects and pollinators will be available, as well as an exhibition on the monarch butterfly. In addition to the commitments made by the municipality, citizens will also be called upon to participate in various actions to contribute to the restoration of the monarch’s habitat.
“Municipalities play a crucial role in the conservation of the monarch butterfly and its habitat. They can take simple actions that have an essential impact on the survival of the species as well as other pollinators, in addition to making their citizens aware of the importance of taking part in this conservation effort. It is in this spirit that we salute the commitment of the City of Mercier. We hope that this initiative can inspire other municipalities to join this vast movement to protect this emblematic butterfly,” explained the head of mobilization and public engagement for Quebec at the David Suzuki Foundation, Alexandre Huet.
Threatened species
Remember that the monarch butterfly is an endangered species: its population has dropped drastically over the past two decades. Scientists attribute this decline to the degradation and loss of breeding habitats. However, municipalities can play a key role in protecting the habitat of this emblematic butterfly and contributing to the preservation of this species.
To encourage municipalities to take concrete action to protect the monarch, as the City of Mercierthe David Suzuki Foundation, in partnership with Space for Life, launched the initiative City friendly to monarchs in Quebec, which aims to implement measures aimed at restoring monarch habitats and raising public awareness.
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