Have you spotted the hidden butterfly on one of our ORION forklifts?
If so, you’ve discovered more than just a decorative detail. That monarch butterfly is a symbol of High Reach Inc.’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. A cause we support and are proud to share with our customers and the community.
The Story Behind the Butterfly
At High Reach Inc., detail has always mattered. That’s why you’ll find a life-sized monarch butterfly sticker in a hidden location on each of our ORION Forklifts. It’s a small symbol with a big story.
Next to the butterfly, you’ll see a QR code. Scan it, and you’ll land here! That is, on this blog post, where we share our mission to care for equipment, communities, and our planet.
From Santo's Vision to our Action
There’s no doubt that our founder, Santo De Arcangelis, has a passion for butterflies. Walk into his office and you’ll be greeted by butterfly art everywhere. From a young age, Santo was inspired by their incredible migration journey, resilience, and undeniable beauty.
For years, Santo dreamed of creating a garden to support these wonderful creatures. When we moved to our Wyecroft facility in Oakville, that dream became a reality. Santo transformed our property by planting a butterfly garden, filled with milkweed and native flowers to assist the butterflies on their long journey. Today, this garden thrives with birds, bees, and most importantly to Santo, monarch butterflies.
A Sanctuary in our Industrial World
On any given morning at our site in Oakville, visitors might notice a burst of color. Amid the heavy equipment, a humble garden provides sanctuary for migrating monarchs and local pollinators.
The garden is more than a passion project. It symbolizes a larger initiative now reflected on our ORION forklifts. This fall, each ORION forklift received a discreet, life-sized butterfly sticker. Beside it, a QR code invites everyone to learn more and get involved.
The Monarch’s Epic Journey
The monarch butterfly’s migration is one of nature’s most incredible feats. Each fall, these resilient insects travel thousands of kilometers, relying on milkweed and native wildflowers for survival and reproduction. But what truly sets this journey apart is the super-generation.
Unlike monarchs born in earlier spring and summer months, the super-generation emerges in late summer. These butterflies are biologically equipped for distance: they can live up to eight months, which is far longer than a regular monarch’s two to six weeks. The super-generation alone makes the entire migration south, crossing continents to reach their overwintering grounds down in Mexico.
It’s a journey defined by extreme endurance, adaptation, and hope. Supporting the monarch’s super-generation means providing the right plants, like milkweed, at the right moments along their route. Usually, industry and wildlife rarely intersect. But at our site, the story is different. Santo’s butterfly garden is proof that small changes on commercial property can make a real difference for an endangered species.
How You Can Join the Effort
- If you find a butterfly sticker on your rental, snap a photo and share it on social media with #SpotTheMonarchHRI. Each post will plant more milkweed through our conservation partners.
- You can also join the effort by planting milkweed at your home or workplace. Milkweed is essential for monarch butterflies’ survival, providing habitat and food for their caterpillars.
Our Ongoing Commitment
Our equipment may move heavy loads, but our greater mission is to support sustainable communities and nature. This campaign connects our work with a responsibility to the environment, celebrating the endurance and beauty of the monarch butterfly alongside the reliability of our ORION Forklifts.
Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Together, we can help monarchs thrive in the wild, one garden, one butterfly, one forklift at a time.
