Spring has sprung in many parts of Canada and scientists are hoping milkweed will too.

The David Suzuki Foundation is urging Canadian governments and rail, road and hydro agencies to support monarch butterfly conservation and plant milkweed along the species migratory route.

This pathway, which runs from southern Canada into Mexico, has seen more than 165 million acres of milkweed destroyed from the use of glyphosate-based pesticides.

Such eradication has contributed to a decline in the monarch butterfly population that hit historic lows last winter, falling from about one billion in the late 1990s to about 30 million.

Federal and state agencies in the United States have contributed US$3.2 million for programs to encourage milkweed growth in schoolyards and on highway roadsides, but Canada has some catching up to do.

“We’ve lost almost a billion monarch butterflies in the past two decades, and the migration to Canada is in serious jeopardy,” said David Suzuki Foundation director Faisal Moola. “We simply cannot afford to wait; it’s time for Canada to step up conservation efforts.”

Tyler Flockhart, scientist at the University of Guelph, noticed an opportunity to transform rail, road and hydro corridors into pollinator friendly “butterflyways.”

“We are excited to be partnering with Dr. Flockhart on this important research,” said David Suzuki Foundation species-at-risk expert Rachel Plotkin. “We hope this work will encourage hydro and transportation agencies throughout Canada to begin enhancing the corridors they manage by adding milkweed and pollinator-friendly plants to nurture our bees and butterflies.”