Runner planing 4,200 km journey with butterflies

A crowdfunding campaign is underway to back a project that’ll have people running from Peterborough to Mexico in tandem with the monarch butterfly migration.

The Monarch Ultra: Mapping the Most Epic Run on Earth is a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $30,000.

If successful, the funds will support a test run, so to speak, of the 4,200 kilometre trek to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico.

That’s where monarch butterflies migrate to and that’s the runners’ destination, too.

Carlotta James, a local pollinator advocate, is organizing the run with filmmaker Rodney Fuentes, and mapping expert Clay Williams.

Fuentes is filming the run and will create a documentary with the material.

The goal behind Monarch

Ultra is to raise awareness about the decline of monarchs and encourage citizens to help boost their population.

“We believe through the art of storytelling, filmmaking and running we can raise awareness of their populations and the importance that they have to food security and biodiversity and our ecosystems,” said James.

The Monarch Ultra is slated to take place Sept. 20 when the butterflies begin their migration.

The insects fly about 80 km a day, taking between 40 to 50 days to arrive at the mountains.

James said they’re looking for up to 100 runners to take 100-km stretches of the jaunt to keep up with the butterflies.

She’ll be running, too, though she’s never run that far in one go.

“I’m really scared to do this,” said Carlotta, while smiling.

Before the big event next year, the Monarch Ultra team plan to travel the mapped-out route to make sure it’s safe.

They’re aiming to leave at the end of the month if the Kickstarter pans out.

By Friday evening, the campaign had raised nearly $11,000. It ends Wednesday.

Funds raised will support the test run, covering camera rentals, a car rental, accommodation, travel insurance, and meals.

Along the way, James said they’ll be connecting with running groups, conservation groups and pollinator advocates to spread the word of the run and to recruit runners and support.

NOTE: Donate to Monarch Ultra at www.kickstarter.com/ projects/1818077578/the-mon arch-ultra-mapping-the-most -epic-run-on-ear/description

‘‘ I’m really scared to do this.

CARLOTTA JAMES, MONARCH ULTRA CO-ORGANIZER, ADMITS TO BUTTERFLIES ABOUT BUTTERFLY RUN

CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT EXAMINER Pollinator advocate Carlotta James runs past filmmaker Rodney Fuentes on Friday at Jackson Park. James and Fuentes are part of a team planning the Monarch Ultra, a 4,200-kilometre relay run.