Great MonArch Migration Event

The City of St. Louis and National Park Service partner annually to hold a community event on National Public Lands Day to celebrate the migration of the monarch butterfly.

The Great MonArch Migration Event

The Great MonArchs Migration Event

The City of St. Louis and National Park Service have been holding The Great MonArch Migration Event the last Saturday in September since 2017 to coincide with National Public Lands Day.  The Great MonArch Migration Event is held on the ArchGrounds at Gateway Arch National Park. Due to the need to observe physical distancing, the 2021 Great MonArch Migration Event had a scaled-back physical presence. 

MonArch Garden In A Box Plant Sale

The "MonArch Garden In A Box" native plant sale was the primary physical component of The Great MonArch Migration Event 2021. Thanks to Grow Native!, Missouri Prairie Foundation, the National Park Service and Papillon Perennials, monarch gardening enthusiasts had the opportunity to safely pre-order/pre-pay for a pollinator-friendly collection of native plants, and collect them with physical distancing.

Plants - Each MonArch Garden In A Box cost $30 and contained 9 native plants to create the ideal habitat for attracting monarch butterflies and other pollinators. The collection included several milkweed and nectar sources, and aligned with the plant recommendations of the STL Monarch Mix.

Pick Up - There was a dedicated spot at the Archgrounds near the Old Courthouse on Fourth Street to pick up your purchased plants.

Free Tote - The first 50 people to pick up their MonArch Garden In A Box at the Arch received a Free Monarch Tote Bag, courtesy of Brightside St. Louis.  

Butterfly tote bag      Caterpillar tote bag

Celebrate the spectacular monarch migration on National Public Lands Day.  You can learn more about gardening for monarch butterflies, attracting pollinators, and the importance of using native species through the following resources:

Video:  Native Plants in the North Gateway--A Look Inside Gateway Arch National Park  (8.5 minutes)
Article: Gardening for Monarchs by Grow Native!
Curated Set of Links: Natives for Monarch Butterflies by Grow Native!
Curated Set of Monarch Resources: Milkweeds for Monarchs: The St. Louis Butterfly Project
Article (Spanish): Embellezcamos Nuestros Jardines y Protejamos las Mariposas Monarca (Danaus plexippus) Sembrando Algodoncillos.  
Webinars: Prairie & native plant webinars by Missouri Prairie Foundation

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