Paper short abstract:

‘Following the Flight of the Monarchs’ is an acoustic ecology project connecting with ecosystems and communities along the migration routes of monarch butterflies as they journey between Mexico and Canada each year. Soundscapes are being livestreamed for ecosystem monitoring and use in artworks.

Paper long abstract:

Following the Flight of the Monarchs, is an interdisciplinary acoustic ecology project led by Rob Mackay, bringing together artists and scientists, connecting with ecosystems and communities along the migration routes of monarch butterflies as they travel the 3,000 mile journey between Mexico and Canada each year. The project connects with the international BIOM project which maps the changing soundscapes of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves through art, science and technology.

Streamboxes are being installed in 5 locations along the monarch butterfly migration routes between Canada and Mexico. These will livestream the soundscapes of these different ecosystems 24/7 via the Locus Sonus Soundmap (http://locusonus.org/soundmap/051/). The first of the boxes was successfully installed in the Cerro Pelón UNESCO reserve in Mexico in 2018. The streams are being used for ecosystem monitoring as well as integrating into artworks which are raising awareness of the environmental issues the monarchs face, whose numbers have declined by nearly 90% over the past two decades.

The presentation will start with a short telematic performance from musicians Rob Mackay (in the UK) and David Blink (in California), with poet Rolando Rodríguez (in Mexico) incorporating live audio streams of soundscapes and video footage from monarch butterfly reserves and video mixed live and streamed by Jessica Rodríguez from Canada.

Artefacts produced so far include a touring installation (presented at the Eden Project, and various international conferences and festivals; a networked telematic performance; and a radio programme for BBC Radio 3 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qyhz).

The project website is available here: https://followingtheflightofthemonarchs.com/