Restoring Habitat for Monarchs in Bolinas, CA

SPAWN, the Marin Monarch Working Group (MMWG), and the West Marin Monarch Sanctuary are hard at work restoring habitat for the Western Monarch butterfly through enhancing habitat at an overwintering ground and in inland breeding areas in Marin County, CA.

In February and March 2025, SPAWN staff and interns joined Ole Schell, Founder of the West Marin Monarch Sanctuary in Bolinas, CA to plant more than 200 fall, winter, and early spring-blooming nectar plants and groundcovers to enhance habitat for monarchs at a coastal overwintering site. Two Monterey cypress, (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), were planted to fill in a wind gap at the site.

Nectar plants added include coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus), Gumplant (Grindelia camporum), Bearberry – (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), CA aster (Symphyotrichum chilense), CA goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp californica), CA lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), Pink-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum var glutinosum), and grass-leaf goldenrod (Euthamia occidentalis). Meadow sedge (Carex praegracilis) was also added to the site to expand native groundcover at the site.

Irrigation was installed at the site in April 2025, and the Conservation Corp North Bay (CCNB) plans to work at the site in May, reducing fire hazards through removal of invasive plants such as French broom (Genista monspessulana) and removing downed trees. This overwintering habitat enhancement project was funded by Gold Ridge RCD, and plants were supplied by SPAWN Nursery, Home Ground Habitats Nursery, and The Xerces Society.

Additionally, SPAWN and the MMWG are working together to improve inland breeding habitat by adding monarch waystations in appropriate areas of Marin County. We are currently working to expand a monarch waystation that was planted at Marin Humane in Novato, CA. The waystation was originally planted in 2019 by Novato Girl Scout Troop 30168. The Girl Scouts grew hundreds of narrow-leaf milkweed, with additional plant donations from Home Ground Habitats Nursery. The site was visited by MMWG members during a monarch bioblitz in July, 2024 and expansion of the waystation was planned during the visit as monarch caterpillars were discovered in the garden. A garden work day is planned at Marin Humane on May 5th , 10am – 2pm– see more details on the SPAWN volunteer event calendar!

In more good news for monarchs and other pollinators, the MMWG was awarded the winner of the 2024 Marin County Integrated Pest Management (IMP) Achievement Award. MMWG was recognized for this award due to the group’s focus on restoring pesticide-free habitat for the Western monarch and other pollinators, and for the efforts of the group to educate the public about the dangers of pesticide use.

Please help us support the recovery of monarchs! Monarch butterflies are currently being considered for federal listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. You can help protect monarchs by adding a comment in support of the listing. The comment period will close May 19, 2025.