Reflection Riding Monarch Waystation Workdays

 

 

 

Monarch Waystations

 

I’ve been fortunate to oversee the Monarch Waystation Restoration Project at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center. We are restoring two Monarch Waystations with monthly volunteer workdays for weed wrangling, invasive plant removal, and planting native nectar and host plants. Twice a year, we also create and distribute native seed bombs. This multi-year project aims to educate the community on the importance of monarch conservation.

 

Monarch Waystations provide essential resources for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds in their spring and summer breeding areas, monarchs couldn’t produce the successive generations needed for their fall migration. Similarly, without nectar from flowers, fall migratory monarchs couldn’t make their journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico. Creating and maintaining Monarch Waystations contributes to monarch conservation, ensuring the preservation of the species and the continuation of their spectacular migration.

 

The Waystations also offer opportunities for volunteers to participate in Community Science Programs, which allow everyone to contribute meaningful data to further scientific understanding. By engaging community members, researchers can collect more data across wider geographic areas, informing larger conservation efforts. It’s a win-win for all, including invertebrates! Programs include The Monarch Tagging Program, The Monarch Larva Monitoring Program, Journey North, and the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program.

 

Please come prepared with close-toed shoes, long sleeves and pants, a hat, water, sunscreen, and any other essentials for a morning of outdoor work. If you have gardening tools, bring them too! We’re excited to spend the morning supporting pollinator health with you!

 

If you would like to volunteer for any of the Monarch Waystation Workdays please visit the Reflection Riding website and sign up. Please note you will need to read and sign the volunteer waiver from Reflection Riding before attending.

 

Where: Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center

Address: 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419

Parking: Please park at the Native Plant Nursery

 

Monarch Waystations Workday Schedule

 

  • July 27, 2024, 8:00 am – 11:00 am
  • September 21, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • October 26, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • November 23, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm