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In 2023, the Foundation announced that a community-driven proposal for a Monarch Waystation would be funded by both the Municipality of Chelsea’s Fond Vert program and the Hendrick Foundation. 

Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the United States to mountains in central Mexico. This migration, one of the world’s natural wonders, is threatened by loss of habitat and breeding areas. Habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change are contributing factors to the decline of the monarchs. Creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation is one way we can restore and enhance habitats for monarchs and other pollinators, and act to protect biodiversity.

This year, a committee of community volunteers, the Friends of the Monarchs, will plant approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of land in the Hendrick Foundation Garden with a variety of milkweed and nectar plants to help preserve the species and the continuation of the monarch migration. The waystation’s nectar plants will include a variety of annual, biennial and perennial plants that provide the nectar needed throughout the monarch breeding season and their long migration, and will be selected to ensure that there are continuous blooms throughout the summer season. Preference will be given to native plants which support long-evolved relationships between plants, animals, climate, and geological features of this region. In addition, the waystation will include flat rocks, sand, and drinking pools to help the butterflies regulate their temperature. The completed waystation area will feature pathways, seating, and educational signs so that the area is as people-pleasing as it is butterfly-pleasing. 

The Friends of the Monarchs is leading the project, and will design, plant, and maintain the waystation with support from the Foundation. Volunteers will also be encouraged to germinate seeds and share suitable plant material from their own gardens. Like all of the Foundation’s initiatives, the waystation is intended to be enjoyed by the public at large, and will also offer opportunities for learning about pollinators and biodiversity, particularly among Chelsea’s younger citizens. 

Once complete, the waystation will be certified and registered by the Monarch Watch program as an official habitat and be awarded a unique waystation number. By registering the waystation, the new habitat will be included in the Monarch Waystation Registry, which is an online listing of Monarch Waystations worldwide.

Contact the Friends of the Monarchs committee to get involved!