How can we evolve as a society without sidelining the environment?

The past few decades have brought about new needs in a rapidly evolving landscape, bringing up new questions. The challenge is to find ways to adapt to the local habitats we’re building in, from the tallest trees to the smallest animals. But, how can we protect some of the most fragile species in our projects? This dilemma is precisely what our team faced.

The 407 ETR highway in Ontario, Canada, is a key infrastructure for transportation in the area. It’s, in fact, one of the busiest roads in North America. It is also surrounded by vast wildlife where a critical species lives, the monarch butterfly, an endangered species necessary to keep life going due to their main role as pollinators.

So, when we started to build this highway, it became imperative to do so in such a way that the ecosystem became the main infrastructure. The project was designed to promote local biodiversity and support the monarch butterfly, creating a corridor for nature preservation.

Working hand in hand with the Canadian Wildlife Federation we established a native flower garden where the monarch butterfly can thrive. Together, we are pioneering a new approach to construction, where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously on our path to a sustainable future.

We talk about this in this podcast episode. We hope you like it!

Sounds of Infrastructure is a collaboration between Ferrovial and Yes We Cast. Our team includes Francisco Izuzquiza, Alberto Espinosa, Ignacio Fernández Vázquez, Luciano Branca, Gabriel Ureta, José García Guaita, Arantxa Gulias, Marina Pastor, Bethany Ashcroft and Fatima Gracia De Vargas.

In addition to the podcast, we have a great blog with so many more stories about infrastructure projects. https://blog.ferrovial.com/en/.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out the other episodes on the official Ferrovial Podcast page. We also have a Spanish Podcast channel.

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19 - Infrastructures and Biodiversity: The Canadian Butterfly Highway