Pollinators need your support!
With monarch numbers and habitat availability in decline,
it’s up to us to ensure the protection of our pollinator friends.
Join Project Monarch founders, Island Heritage Trust,
The Garden Project, and Tammy Hagerthy,
as we work together to help pollinators thrive
in Deer Isle – Stonington, Maine and beyond.
1. Visit, Observe, & Learn About Pollinator Habitats
Across Deer Isle, discover a variety of wild meadow and community-made diverse habitats that create harmony for pollinators to eat, rest, lay eggs, and thrive. Stop by in the Spring or Summer to connect with the Earth and get inspired.
Community Restoration Gardens:
Local students have collaborated to create Restoration Gardens where all are invited to watch the pollinator and plant diversity arrive and thrive!
Protected Pollinator Meadows:
Island Heritage Trust protects wild pollinator meadows at a few nature preserves that are open to the public for visiting, hiking, and exploring year-round.
2. Attend a Project Monarch Event
Project Monarch events celebrate the beautiful pollinator insects necessary to the health and sustainability of human food production, plant populations, and ecosystems. Come learn how you can be a part of creating an environment they need to thrive.
Monarch Morning:
Every June, we gather at The Garden Project in Stonington for a family-friendly morning of pollinator-inspired educational games, crafts, and activities.
Monarch Release:
In early Autumn, we gather once more at The Garden Project to release newly hatched butterflies to begin their journeys across Deer Isle and beyond!
This magical send-off is a wonderful opportunity for kids to gently interact with Monarch Butterflies while learning about the important adventure the butterflies have ahead.
& More!
Check out Island Heritage Trust’s Upcoming Events Schedule for Project Monarch Event Dates and other programs about things like beekeeping, tree grafting, harmful invasive plant removal, and more!
3. Create a Safe Pollinator Habitat in Your Own Yard
Contribute to Project Monarch by allowing a wild strip or flower garden to grow in your yard. Then watch as the pollinator and plant diversity arrives and thrives.
… that creating safe butterfly habitats is about more than planting pollinator-friendly flowers?
Being in relationship with the Earth is also an invitation to be a protector of the vulnerable by removing plants that cause them harm. Black Swallowort is fast-spreading plant (now on Little Deer Isle!) that damages soil quality and kills Monarch eggs. Keep an eye out for Black Swallowwort on your property to help protect Monarch populations.
