Join us for the Children’s Monarch Fest, Sun., July 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Wilder Park.
The Fest is held in conjunction with the Elmhurst Garden Club’s Garden Walk & Faire. Activities include: The Butterfly Lady Pat Miller keynote presentation; ed
ucational exhibits; live butterfly tent; free milkweed giveaway (while supplies last); native plant sale; monarch make-and-take crafts; Be A Monarch photo-op; face painting; and more. Organizations focused on conservation and preservation of the monarch butterfly, natives and prairie plants are encouraged to participate. For vendor information, contact us at 630/426-9789.
In early 2016 at the urging of the Elmhurst Garden Club, Elmhurst Mayor Steven Morley signed the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge of the National Wildlife Foundation, and issued a proclamation designed to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. The Garden Club then proclaimed 2017 as The Year of the Monarch.
Several national organizations are working to help restore the declining population of monarch butterflies and pollinators. Among them are monarchwatch.org, WildOnes, and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. This collaboration involves more than 140 government, collegiate and private organizations working for the protection of pollinators across Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Garden Clubs of Illinois has a state-wide initiative. Locally, the DuPage Monarch Project is asking municipalities to sign a resolution committing them to increase the number of native milkweed plants on city owned land where appropriate, reducing the use of pesticides which threaten butterflies and pollinators, and educating residents about milkweed, including local sources for use in residential landscaping.
Here’s how you can help protect monarchs and their migration:
Plant milkweed! Monarch caterpillars need milkweeds to grow and develop. There are over 100 milkweed species native to North America. To learn which milkweed species to plant and how to plant them, visit www.monarchwatch.org.
Plant butterfly nectar plants. Nectar is crucial to the monarch population, providing energy for breeding, for their migratory journey, and to build reserves for the long winter.
Avoid using pesticides. Insecticide and herbicide used to control insects an d weeds have unintended consequences on pollinators and wildlife, including bees, birds, butterflies, and aquatic organisms. For more information on going pesticide-free, visit the Midwest Pesticide Action Center website.
Encourage public land managers to create a monarch habitat. Roadsides and 
parks of all sizes offer great opportunities to create habitat for monarchs and other pollinators.
Sign up for a monarch license plate decal. The Illinois Environmental Council, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are partnering with the Illinois Secretary of State to create a monarch licence plate decal. This decal will help fund the planting of milkweed roadside habitat in Illinois.
You can apply for your decal in three easy steps:
- Visit the IEC website to print a decal form.
- Fill the form out, including “Monarch Roadside Habitat” for “Name of Specialty Plate Being Requested”
- Send the form in to the Secretary of State’s office with a $10 check.
As soon as 2000 people sign up, a decal will be created and you’ll be sent a universal license plate and the monarch decal.
(North American Pollinator Protection Campaign)