November 21st, 2010
Journey North is a citizen science website that tracks the travels of a number of North American migratory animals. The monarch butterfly is it’s “flagship” species, and their journey is nearing the end as many have now reached the wintering grounds in the mountains of Mexico. The migration is documented as people like you and I send in our observations, and the progress is mapped. Viewers can see the information you have submitted when they click on the map’s dot for your sighting. There are excellent questions and activities for students to consider between weekly updates.
This monarch's journey south was put on pause by rain and cold near Tobermory on the Labour Day weekend. With luck it will now be resting in the mountain reserves of Mexico's Transvolcanic Belt.
Whooping cranes are an endangered species. Down to only 15 individuals in the wild in the 1940’s, the western flock of wild, natural breeding birds now numbers about 250. The eastern flock is an attempt to re-establish a historic population that breeds in Wisconsin. This flock now numbers 105 birds.
Daily updates are being posted on the progress of the 2010 class of young whoopers, being led on their first migratory flight by a crane-costumed ultralight trike pilot. Once completed, they will have committed the route to memory and will hopefully guide their own offspring on future flights. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/crane/index.html