What's Happening in Downsview, ON…

Monarch butterfly enthusiasts from around the GTA came out for a recent celebration of these tiny creatures in Downsview’s Tommy Thompson Park.

The sixth annual Butterfly Festival gave visitors a chance to learn more about the annual migration of the monarch butterfly, and also the songbirds that travel through the region.

Each year, the butterflies congregate in the area before they begin their 3,500 km journey that will take them across the Great Lakes and down to Mexico. Late summer was the best time to witness this event.

Experts from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and representatives from other nature groups and associations, as well as vendors, were on hand to help facilitate information sessions and educational displays.

Festival goers were given an opportunity to go on free guided walks and attend information sessions about butterfly gardening, as well as other educational activities. They also got a chance to learn more about bird banding and the annual songbird migration that comes through the area every year.

Emphasis was placed on the role butterflies, moths, and other wild creatures play in the local ecosystem.

An event like this can appeal to nature enthusiasts and the rest of the public alike. It provided a fun and entertaining atmosphere that was also educational. Flyer printing companies can produce informational leaflets and other items that can be used to help people learn even more about these tiny but tough creatures.