Licking County Pollinator Pathway announced a new initiative and event series last month to help property owners and organizations adapt unused grassy areas into pollinator habitats. The Meadows for Monarchs Project aims to create and connect pollinator plots across Licking County while promoting biodiversity conservation.
The Meadows for Monarchs Project is offering a series of virtual and in-person workshops through July 2025. These workshops teach interested individuals how to design, prepare, and plant their own “pocket prairies” or “mini meadows.”
“The monarch butterfly is under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act, so there’s a lot of interest in expanding monarch habitat across their migratory range,” said Susan King, a representative of Licking County Pollinator Pathways.
The Licking County Pollinator Pathway began as a result of growing interest from individuals who wanted to establish biodiverse meadows.
“U.S. Fish and Wildlife, who help convert 100-acre sites, couldn’t match the high demand of small plots,” said King. “We wanted to be able to support this interest.”
The Meadows for Monarchs project is a collaboration between several local and national conservation organizations, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Dawes Arboretum, the Licking County Master Gardener Volunteers, the Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Licking County Park District and the Licking Land Trust.
Weeks after launching the project, a federal funding freeze was announced. Originally, the program was to receive financial support from U.S Fish and Wildlife Services for a lending library of tools and seed mixes for participants. But on March 5, Pollinator Pathway received an email informing them that, because of federal budget reviews, their funding had been indefinitely halted.
Read more: ‘Temporary’ federal spending freeze may affect some Licking County programs
“It’s an example of how some of these cut-first, figure-out-later decisions are impacting local communities,” said King.
Despite the setback, the program is expected to move forward with its established calendar of events.
“I want to be optimistic, but I also want to be realistic about what’s possible,” said King.
Pollinator Pathways is currently seeking temporary solutions, including reaching out to local companies for discounted tool rentals and private fundraising. As long as there is community interest in the Meadows for Monarchs Project, King and the team at Pollinator Pathway want to make it possible.
“Monarchs are such an iconic species that capture the imagination of kids and adults alike,” King said. “It’s a project that a lot of folks are eager to get behind.”
“Our new home had a large patch of turf grass that we didn’t use and didn’t enjoy mowing,” said Jill Hofbauer, a Granville resident. “It seemed like a great spot to do a pollinator meadow.”
Hofbauer started her own mini monarch meadows last spring after hearing about Pollinator Pathway.
“At first, I wasn’t sure what was going to come up, but by the end of the summer, there was some really great stuff growing in there,” Hofbauer said. “In one summer, I’ve noticed a lot of pollinators, and it has already attracted a certain level of biodiversity into the yard.”
Hofbauer is participating in the Meadows for Monarchs Project to expand her mini meadows further.
“I still have more areas of my yard that I would like to convert into pollinator-friendly spaces, and I love that this program can provide me with resources and help guide me through the process,” said Hofbauer. “We’re lucky that we live in a community that has the resources to help with a process like this, and I encourage people to really take advantage of that.”
Along with targeting environmentally conscious individuals, the Meadows for Monarchs Project is intended for landowners and property managers who spend a lot of time on landscape maintenance.
“Areas that are not being utilized by the public are a great area to start,” said King.
The City of Newark recently converted the area of grass between a baseball diamond and woods at Levin Park into wildflowers, which reduced maintenance costs. The City of Newark Parks and Cemetery Department calculated a total savings of $2,380 per 28-week mowing season in gas, labor costs and maintenance, according to the Pollinator Pathway site.
“There’s a lot of research that shows that even really small plots can make a demonstrable difference for monarchs,” said King.
To register and for more information about the Meadows for Monarchs Project, visit the Licking County Pollinator Pathway at lickingpollinatorpathway.org/meadows.
Calendar:
- Site Prep Demonstration: Master Gardener Volunteers’ Learning Garden at 771 E. Main Street, Newark; May 10, 2025. 10:30-11:30 am OR 12:30-1:30 pm
- Prairie Perspectives: James Bradley Center, Infirmary Mound Park at 4351 Lancaster Road, Granville; June 24, 2025. Time TBD
- Prairie Tour: July 2025. Red Barn Reserve at the Dawes Arboretum at 7087 Davis Drive, Heath; Date and time TBD
- Seed Pickup and Seeding Demonstration: Fall 2025. Master Gardener Volunteers’ Learning Garden.
This story was updated at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 25, to correct the spelling of Hofbauer’s name. The Reporting Project regrets the error.
Selah Griffin writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.