The document summarizes the work of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to help restore the declining monarch butterfly population. It discusses three key programs: 1) The NWF Monarch Heroes program partners with Austin Independent School District to engage students in creating milkweed habitat and propagating native plants to help monarchs. 2) NWF works with major cities along the monarch migration corridor to develop conservation plans and expand habitat by planting milkweed and nectar plants. 3) It lists the 2015-2016 schools participating in the AISD Monarch Heroes program that are creating monarch gardens and learning about conservation.

1. A big thank-you to our sponsors:
NWF Monarch Heroes Program
NWF is working across the U.S. to help restore the iconic monarch butterfly, whose
population has plummeted by more than 90 percent in the past 20 years. The milkweed host
plants and other nectar-producing plants that monarchs rely upon for breeding and feeding
have largely disappeared due to habitat destruction. Austin and other cities along the I35
migratory corridor are critical stops for migrating monarchs in need of milkweed and nectar
plants to sustain them on their journey, and NWF is working to restore habitat in the flyway.
Monarch Heroes Partnership with Austin Schools
To help build awareness and reverse monarch decline in Austin, NWF launched a
Monarch Heroes program with Austin Independent School District (AISD). This
environmental education and outreach program engages and empowers AISD students
and community members to create critical milkweed habitat.
NWF provides training, guidance, and funds for participating schools, to help them
implement monarch gardens on their campuses. In year 2 of the project,
NWF will help the schools purchase greenhouses and other resources to enable
students to propagate and share native milkweed and nectar plants with neighboring
schools and communities.
Monarch Urban Outreach
NWF is working with major cities up and down the central migration flyway from
Texas to Missouri to develop and implement monarch conservation plans. We are
coordinating efforts between city governments (sustainability offices and parks
departments) and their NGO partners (such as local chapters of garden clubs, native
plant societies, and Keep America Beautiful chapters) to expand monarch habitat by
planting native milkweed and nectar plants and preserving existing habitat.
This city by city initiative will bring together a great number and variety of resources,
all organized around a common goal – monarch recovery.
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
Dallas
Fort Worth
Corpus Christi
Oklahoma City
Kansas City
St. Louis
Indianapolis
Monarch Urban Outreach Target Cities:
Blanton Elementary
Harris Elementary
Hill Elementary
Mathews Elementary
Patton Elementary
Burnet Middle School
Covington Middle School
Martin Middle School
Webb Middle School
Sadler Young Women’s
Leadership Academy
2015-2016 AISD Monarch Heroes Schools: