The Great Migration — and Some Great Stories

Guildwood wildlife expert Ann Brokelman, right, shares stories about nature’s great annual migrations during her August talk at Guild Park.

What does it take for a fragile Monarch butterfly to travel thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico? Can a damaged butterfly wing actually be repaired? And why are coyotes sometimes called “song dogs”?

Those were just some of the fascinating questions explored when wildlife expert, Guildwood resident and award-winning nature photographer Ann Brokelman brought The Great Journey: Bird & Butterfly Migration Talk to Guild Park on August 22.

An enthusiastic group gathered beside the Sculptor’s Cabin and Pollinator Garden as Ann explored the extraordinary journeys taking place in the natural world around us. Her presentation ranged from Monarch migration and tagging to the annual travels of birds and other wildlife, pollinators and even coyotes.

One of the biggest surprises? Participants learned that damaged butterfly wings can sometimes be repaired — and even transplanted. But when people were asked what they remembered most, they repeatedly mentioned something harder to capture in a nature guide: Ann’s stories, personal experiences, enthusiasm and remarkable knowledge of wildlife.

Presented by Friends of Guild Park and the Guildwood Butterflyway Project, the event was supported through the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, part of an ongoing series of FGP activities encouraging people 55+ to learn, explore and become more involved in their community.

A big thank you to Ann Brokelman, the Guildwood Butterflyway team and FGP volunteers who helped make the afternoon possible. Sometimes discovering something extraordinary doesn’t require a journey of thousands of kilometres. Sometimes it’s waiting for you right here at Guild Park.