2023 Key-note speaker Carlotta James co-founded The Monarch Ultra as a conservation project to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and connect communities across North America with a common goal of biodiversity. In 2019 she was one of the relay ultra-runners who followed the same migratory journey of the monarch butterfly by running 4,300 km from southern Ontario to central Mexico. During the 47-day running adventure the athletes traversed through wild landscapes as well populated urban areas. Today you will witness part of that journey through Carlotta and the film they made. The Monarch Ultra hopes to see the monarch butterfly become a symbol of resilience, strength and inspiration that motivates people into conservation and climate action.