This August, Alberta’s two districts and clubs (especially in Calgary and Edmonton), have the unique opportunity to participate in the Monarch Hope statue tour, sponsored by the Monterrey Metropolitano Rotary Club (Mexico), Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad, and others.  This tour builds on last year’s 1st Monarch statue event that raised more than $100,000 for 60,000 oyamel fir trees necessary for Monarch Butterflies.

During these dates, the MOMA Hope statue will travel between Calgary/Edmonton to Winnipeg, Toronto, Windsor, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, and several points south into Mexico ending its journey at the Monarch Biopshere Reserve (near Morelia, Mexico).

Rotarian David Eaton (Environmental Chair for his District in Mexico) will travel with the statue in Alberta and is speaking to clubs about the purpose of the statue’s visit.  In addition, David hopes that your District will sign an Operation Pollination Partnership (that covers all clubs in your district).  Once signed at the District level, Club Presidents are then invited to sign a Pollinator Pledge specifically for your Club (all projects, large or small, are welcome; no judgement is ever made regarding a project – EVERYONE is invited to help address the global crisis of pollinator decline).

You may already know about challenges bee keepers have with Bee Hive Colony Distress Disorder.  Bees are very important pollinators of Alberta crops and flowers.

You may not know that Monarch Butterflies have been spotted in Edmonton's river valley.  They are mostly attracted to milkweed.  Although David is obviously focused on Monarch, this presentation opens up to all pollinators (bees, wasps, moths and other insects) and improves the environment for pollinators.