When Keith Knautz, Director of Glendale Heights Parks and Recreation, found out about the declining population of monarchs, he shared what he had learned with his wife, an avid gardener.  They talked about the many monarchs they had seen as kids and how rare spottings are today.

The good news was there was something the Glendale Heights Park District could do to help monarchs recover some of their lost habitat — plant a waystation.

Chuck Dymbrowski, Lead Foreman for the Park District contacted Dupage Monarch Project to learn more about waystations.  With suggestions in hand and a list of plants, an appropriate site was found at the Village’s Historic House.

On May 8th, volunteers from the Eaton Corporation based in Glendale Heights, planted a waystation.

The garden will settle in this spring and summer, maturing into an inviting spot for monarchs to find food and lay eggs, where caterpillars will munch milkweed and transform into butterflies.

Thank you Keith Knautz, Chuck Dymbrowski and Eaton Corp volunteers for being part of the recovery effort and helping to protect the Illinois state butterfly.

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