Land Alliance Installs Monarch Butterfly House at Wawapek Preserve in Cold Spring Harbor to Boost Conservation Education

Last year the Land Alliance received a grant from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program to launch a public education program about the iconic monarch butterfly. Monarchs are a beloved butterfly species, but their numbers are declining due to factors like habitat loss, increased pesticide use and climate change. With the goal of bringing attention to the plight of this flagship species, we held a series of lectures and children’s educational programs about butterfly conservation. And just before the snowy dead of winter kicked in, we constructed a butterfly house at our Wawapek Preserve. This screened structure will be planted this spring with a native pollinator garden. Once the garden is mature enough, it will support native butterfly larvae brought into the enclosure on a temporary basis.

As David Attenborough once said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. The butterfly house is the final aspect of our butterfly conservation educational efforts. This space will allow people to walk in and observe the butterflies close up and watch them interact with the native plants. Then later in the summer, the butterflies will be released.

The hope is that people can get a close look at them and have a memorable experience. If they form an attachment to butterflies, then they will want to help contribute to butterfly conservation efforts. One of the ways they can do this is by planting a native butterfly garden of their own. If people enjoy their time with the butterflies, they can take inspiration from our pollinators gardens and recreate one at home!