The mission of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, in partnership with Myriad Botanical Gardens, the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative, and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), focuses on increasing habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. This collaborative effort aims to address the significant habitat loss affecting monarch butterflies and other pollinators by encouraging and supporting the creation of monarch gardens in strategic locations such as the Oklahoma City metro area.
The grant program seeks to counter the steep decline in the monarch butterfly population, primarily due to habitat loss, by supporting Oklahoma City metro area schools in creating monarch gardens. These gardens will serve as crucial habitats that provide both monarch host plants, such as milkweed, and nectar plants, serving as a vital food source along an essential migration pathway for the butterflies. Schools selected for this program will benefit from professional development opportunities for teachers, awards up to $1500 for garden supplies, access to the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Heroes Curriculum, and guidance from the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative. This initiative not only aims to increase monarch and pollinator habitats but also educates and engages the community in conservation efforts.