Five Oakville Trafalgar High School students have created a fundraiser to raise awareness about the conservation of Monarch Butterflies by way of selling solar eclipse glasses.
In two months, on April 8, Southern Ontario will say goodbye to the sun at around 2 p.m. as part of this year's total solar eclipse. Recognizing the rarity of the event, a group of local high school girls are determined to make sure people can participate in this phenomenon while contributing to the preservation of wildlife.
The foundation they've created, named The Monarch Butterfly Eclipse Project (TMBEP), aims to make the total solar eclipse accessible to everyone as a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."
According to the group, such eclipses occur, on average, only once every 350 years. Taylor, one of the student creators, spoke to the uniqueness of the event, stating, "Everything’s going to stop at 2 p.m., it will go completely dark."
Professor of Physics & Astronomy at York University Elaina Hyde says that to see the eclipse, "You'll have to be in just the right region, and be lucky with the weather."
"Most of Ontario will NOT be able to see the eclipse without special glasses, a pinhole camera, or other viewing aids since it will be a partial eclipse for their locations," Hyde continued.
"A small area of Ontario near Niagara Falls and including some cities north of Toronto will be able to view a Total Solar Eclipse. The areas of totality are limited and Total Solar Eclipses are quite rare to see mainly for that reason."
The five girls, Emilie, Maggie, Ellen, Taylor and Paige are family friends between the ages of 15-16 and were inspired to run this initiative after seeing the path of this year's total solar eclipse. What stood out to them was that the eclipse path mirrors the major migration route of the endangered Monarch Butterfly.
In collaboration with Oakvillegreen, the team is excited about the partnership, as it resonates with Oakvillegreen's initiative to, "ignite that green spark among people of all ages and backgrounds, creating life-long nature stewards and advocates."
"We endorse the Monarch Butterfly Eclipse Project which promotes leadership and draws our attention to the preservation of the endangered Monarch Butterfly and the importance of biodiversity," says Programs Manager Anelia Tichkova.
"It inspires everyone to do their part through this spectacular natural event and the fascinating parallel between the Sun's path during the 2024 Solar Eclipse and the migration route of the Monarch butterflies."
TMBEP will be donating all proceeds of the ISO Certified solar eclipse glasses to initiatives that protect the habitat and population of Monarch Butterflies.
Halton District School Board has rescheduled an upcoming P.A. day from Monday April 22 to two weeks earlier on Monday, April 8 in light of the solar eclipse.
More information on the cause and where to get the glasses can be found on the team’s website.