Monarch Waystation Soundmap (MWS) investigates how music practices might contribute to multispecies flourishing. MWS operates at multiple scales: it is simultaneously a habitat restoration initiative and an environmental sound art project. Since its inception in 2020, the project has evolved through long-distance cycling expeditions that trace the Western monarch’s migration routes. Through these journeys, we have the establish butterfly habitat, create opportunities for musical collaboration with local communities and landscapes, and generate a sonic archive of these interventions through field recordings and performances. The project's artistic output—including an interactive website, an electroacoustic composition, and a film—represent different ways of collecting up MWS stories. Drawing from both scientific research on monarch conservation and artistic traditions of environmental sound art, MWS explores how creative practice can contribute to ecological awareness and active habitat restoration.
Current collaborators: Alejandro Botijo // Comrade Caracol // Ursa La Verre // Stephie's Castle
If you have an interest in this project, please reach out! We are looking for cyclists, musicians, and environmental advocates who would like to collaborate with us!