Help Our Community Garden Save Monarch Butterflies

Dear family, friends, neighbors, and nature lovers:

The Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary is buzzing with life once again and the color of pollinator flowers are beginning to bloom! Monarch butterfly season has officially begun, and we’ve been working hard to prepare a thriving, safe environment for these miraculous pollinators right here in the heart of our beloved Inwood community.

Once a common and inspiring sight, this iconic species are endangered in our area and since 2019 we decided and started to do something about it.

Over the past few months, our small team of dedicated volunteers has invested hundreds of dollars (we’ll be sharing the receipts) and countless hours of hard work into creating and maintaining a vibrant habitat for monarchs and other pollinators in public spaces, mostly focused on our original Sanctuary, situated on the ground of the old Convent of the Good Shepherd, which has become a vital food pantry and community space over the years.

This includes an extensive habitat restoration program to encourage and sustain the migration of monarch butterflies through northern Manhattan, a vital part of the Atlantic “flyway”.

Our efforts also include:

Purchase and propagation from seed of native milkweed and nectar-rich pollinator flowers that will bloom during the season.

Widespread soil amendments, applying nutrient rich soil, mulch, and compost to enrich various gardens, waystations, and street tree beds throughout Inwood.

Gardening tools, materials and supplies needed to do our work and equip our volunteers and visitors: Shovels, gloves. hoses and others needed for planting and maintaining several active habitats and gardens, including portable power tools for efficient, effective. physically intensive work, eg. rechargeable auger drill for planting bulbs, sawzall for cutting hedges and protective barriers

️Portable butterfly enclosures to rear and safely release monarchs.

Ongoing maintenance of our amazing, beloved and very popular “Cycle of Life” monarch butterfly viewing kiosk on a busy street corner that residents pass by daily to watch and keep track of caterpillars as they transform in healthy adult butterflies before their eyes, literally a chance of a lifetime to witness their metamorphosis.

‍Engage the community in stewardship, conservation through numerous educational presentations and tours to local schools

Beautify neighborhood planting native pollinator flowers in marginal spaces and numerous street tree beds as part of our always expanding “Pollinator Pathways” initiatives, which have actively sought to connect small urban gardens, roadway medians, street tree beds, public green spaces and parks.

This initiative to foster optimal microenvironments is described in "We Grow Life" is a citywide initiative to cultivate life and community, transform neglected spaces and protect endangered species: https://www.participate.nyc.gov/processes/Citywidepb2024/f/343/proposals/12003

In upcoming updates, we’ll be sharing more of our projects.

All of this has been done with love, care, and out-of-pocket support from our volunteers and supporters — now we need your help to continue this important work.

Why It Matters:

Monarch butterflies are not just beautiful — they’re essential pollinators whose populations are in serious decline due to habitat loss and climate change. By creating a welcoming environment right here in Inwood, we’re helping to support the monarch’s migratory journey, boost local biodiversity and pollination, and provide environmental education and joy to our community.

Any donation or sharing of our campaign, no matter the size, will make a significant contribution. Together, we can ensure that the Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary continues to serve as a safe haven for monarchs, a sanctuary of beauty and learning for all, and a testament to the importance of preserving biodiversity.

Thank you for being part of this community effort. Let’s keep Inwood blooming — and keep the butterflies coming every season.

With gratitude,

The Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary