DD Kirkland/Cox Monarch Waystation

Cox is sponsoring a Monarch Waystation for DD Kirkland Elementary school. We have identified a space in the school that we can improve for multiple reasons; to create a habitat for butterflies, to beautify the school, and to provide an outdoor class room where kids can learn hands on about science. We teamed up with the school on the design and the children helped us plant the garden.

Pollinator Habitat

We are converting some of our native or low maintenance areas to pollinator habitats at Bailey Ranch Golf Course in Owasso Oklahoma. Our goal is to help increase the population of endangered wildlife to a more sustainable level.

Sandy’s Butterfly Sanctuary

Started in 2005, the gardens have grown and have brought in more than 87 species of butterflies. It is a safe place for all kinds of pollinators and wildlife. In 2007, the gardens were registered with Monarch Watch as Monarch Waystation #1524. New beds have been planted over the years. Monarch sightings have been documented to Journey North for the past eleven years and number in the thousands.

OKC Belle Isle Library Garden

Belle Isle’s new garden also attracted lots of visits from pollinators. We collected quite a few caterpillars there to raise in the hut at home. These were part of the 60-count mentioned above.

We’re planning a second garden next year, closer to a main entrance, to encourage more patrons to get involved. We are thrilled that Carolyn Manes (Master Gardener) will continue to volunteer, and newly-minted Master Gardener, Rick Wicker, will adopt it, since he lives in the neighborhood.

Thanks so much to all the volunteers who are signing up to make these gardens a reality! Our dream is to install a garden at every library in the Metro system.

Thanks to the managers of Warr Acres (Barbara Beasley) and Belle Isle (Cassie Spindle), for allowing us to use their libraries as the “guinea pigs” for this project. We’re proud of our libraries for joining this important educational effort.

OKC Warr Acre Library Garden

The Warr-Acres Library garden enjoyed lots of Monarch visitors last summer, although we didn’t get many tag-and-release opportunities. We released about 60 butterflies, but few hatched on the weekends. We’ll hope for better luck next year, but of course we can all feel good just knowing how helpful this garden was, to the Monarchs and other pollinators. And a fun new sighting occurred there recently: a clutch of Bordered Patch caterpillars on our Cow-pen daisies!

Thanks so much to all the volunteers who are signing up to make these gardens a reality! Our dream is to install a garden at every library in the Metro system.

Thanks to the managers of Warr Acres (Barbara Beasley) and Belle Isle (Cassie Spindle), for allowing us to use their libraries as the “guinea pigs” for this project. We’re proud of our libraries for joining this important educational effort.