Join Friends of Second Marsh September 23rd for the showing of a 54 minute feature-length documentary film that captures the grit and determination of 46 ultra-runners who each ran one 50-100 km leg of a 4,300 km relay run from Peterborough, Ontario to Central Mexico, tracing the migration path of monarch butterflies with the aim of raising awareness for pollinator conservation.
Deeply concerned about the steep decline of insect pollinators due to devastating environmental impacts, a group of runners trace the migration path of the monarch butterflies from Peterborough, Ontario to Central Mexico. The result is 4,300 km relay run, aiming to raise awareness for pollinator conservation.
The vision was to connect communities across North America with a common goal of protecting monarch butterflies. The film covers the cross-continental event witnessing the grit and determination of the 46 ultra-runners who each ran one 50-100 km leg of the relay run.
The film covers the story and experiences of runners, the organizing team, scientists and environmentalists. Interviews reveal in-depth information about insect pollinators, how environmental decline is affecting pollinator populations, community conservation movements, as well as ultra-marathon distances and how this activity connects with environmental activism.
You can view the film trailer, learn more about the migration of Monarch butterflies and how you can support Monarch conservation at themonarchultrafilm.com.
Join Friends of Second Marsh September 23rd to see this incredible film.
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Where: Arts Resource Centre, 45 Queen Street, Oshawa (south of King Street and behind Scotia Bank). Building and theatre are accessible.
Time: 7:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Bonus: Film will be followed by a Q & A with Rodney Fuentes, Film Director and Carlotta James, Ultra-runner and Project Director, and door prizes.
Parking: Free parking in lot west of Oshawa City Hall off Queen Street.
Cost: Free. Donations to Friends of Second Marsh are welcome!
In January 2018, Carlotta told Rodney about her idea of running with monarchs from Peterborough to Mexico and asked him to record the journey as a documentary film. This project was a love at first sight for Rodney! As a filmmaker based in Peterborough, Rodney started the production of a documentary that covers the runners, the migration, and the communities involve in monarch’s conservation. Following his background in eco-tourism and environmental conservation, Rodney became involved with The Monarch Ultra as a co-founder, content creation, and event’s organization. You can find out more about Rodney’s work and the documentary at www.rodneyfuentes.com.
Director’s statement – “As a filmmaker I saw an opportunity to explore the parallel stories of the monarchs and the runners. During the 2019 relay run, runners not onlytraced the migration route of monarch butterflies, but also experienced similar challenges that the monarchs face in their annual migration. The film covers the story behind the planning and execution of The Monarch Ultra and how this international relay run connects with environmental activism.”
Carlotta James – Ultra-runner and Project Director
The dream of runners and monarch butterflies on a journey together came to Carlotta while running along forest trails in Peterborough, Ontario in 2016. Since then, Carlotta has been working tirelessly with the Monarch Ultra team to create running events as a call to action towards environmental protection and monarch conservation. She is passionate about running, exploring wild spaces around the world, and connecting with the natural world. Carlotta is a pollinator advocate and eco-landscaper, devoted to re-wilding urban spaces. Carlotta lives in Peterborough with her husband and son, who also love running and spending time in nature.
