Starting in September 2015, the David Suzuki Foundation has been partnering with researchers at the University of Guelph to “find the most ecological and cost-effective methods to restore monarch habitat—providing scientifically-based guidance for the growing movement to recover dwindling pollinators through habitat restoration” along linear infrastructure corridors such as train corridors, city parks and utility stations or rights-of-way (David Suzuki Foundation 2015).

The researchers believe linear infrastructure corridors will provide a landscape of great opportunity for pollinators. This project is taking place simultaneously with other organizations’ efforts in the United States to create a monarch flyway along the Interstate Highway 35, running from Minnesota to Texas. Infrastructure corridors can provide a large acreage of monarch and pollinator habitat, and are often required to be undeveloped, for safety and regulatory reasons—providing an excellent opportunity to install habitat in otherwise under-utilized lands. “Initial research [for this project] will be conducted along three corridors in southern Ontario, including the Uxbridge Subdivision on Metrolinx’s Stouffville GO Train corridor; lands adjacent to a Hydro One Transformer Station in Vaughan; and a habitat restoration site within the Milne Dam Conservation Park in the City of Markham” (David Suzuki Foundation 2015).

• David Suzuki Foundation. 2015. Will “Butterflyways” Save the Monarch Butterfly? davidsuzuki.org/media/news/2015/09/will-butterflyways-save-the-monarch-butterfly/.

Keywords: habitat, partnerships, restoration, Rights of way