Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory working to reintroduce an endangered species into the wild
The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is helping to reintroduce an endangered species called the Mottled Duskywing Butterfly.
The rare species was first listed as endangered in 2012.
The conservatory has joined forces with other local partners to start the Ontario Butterfly Species at Risk Recovery Team.
“The Mottled Duskywing is the only currently endangered butterfly in Ontario,” said Ryan Norris, a University of Guelph professor and lead on the recovery team. “The host plant that they need to raise their young on is rare.”
This is the third year of the project that involved capturing about two dozen female founders in Hastings County.
“And from those females, you were able to get 2,500 eggs,” said Adrienne Brewster, executive director at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.
Now hundreds of Mottled Dustywings are at a special lab at the Cambridge conservatory, in various stages of its life cycle.
“That entire duration can be anywhere from five to six weeks from egg to adult,” said Brewster.
The butterflies are kept away from the public to keep them protected and are monitored often.
“We also hand feed them to make sure they are sustained properly, to make sure they survive while they’re in the lab,” Brewster said.
This summer the team started releasing the butterflies into the wild at Pinery Provincial Park, north of Sarnia.
“We anticipate being able to release about just over 500 at Pinery Provincial Park and will be releasing about 600 or more to the original site where we took the female founders from,” said Brewster.
Now it’s a matter of waiting to see if the butterflies survive in their new environment once they are released.
“We do daily monitoring of the individuals that we released,” said Norris.
The goal is to have the Mottled Duskywing Butterfly delisted and no longer considered an endangered species. Experts admit it could take five to 10 years for that to happen, but the team is confident their hard work will pay off.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.