Partnering for Pollinators 2023

In collaboration with U of I Extension, Mayfield Church is hosting a series of programs about native pollinator plants and pollinators. Learn about native gardens and our pollinators by registering HERE. You may register to attend any one or all of the programs.

All programs take place at the Mayfield Monarch Waystation located at Mayfield Congregational Church, 28405 Church Rd, Sycamore, IL. Programs will take place rain or shine so be sure to dress for the weather.

Schedule:

Native Plants, Creatures, and Us
June 24, 10 – 11 a.m., Peggy Doty, Environmental Educator, U of I Extension

Creating a Pollinator Paradise
July 29, 10 – 11 a.m., Diana Swanson, Gardener, Mayfield Monarch Waystation

Garden Photography
August 12, 10 – 11 a.m., Randy Caspersen, Filmmaker

Crafting with Nature
August 19, 10 – 11 a.m., Sue Goudy, Independent Artist

Free to attend, but pre-registration is required and enrollment is limited. For more info and to register, click HERE.

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Are you looking for information about what plants attract and provide food for both caterpillars and butterflies? Click here for the Mayfield Monarch Waystation Plant List, providing names, bloom times, and other information you’ll need.

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS AND PROGRESS UPDATES!

The Mayfield Monarch Waystation provides habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinating insects and a beautiful, peaceful spot for people to slow down and connect to nature and to the divine.

You are welcome to visit the garden to enjoy the beauty and to learn about the plants and shrubs, all of which are native to northern Illinois. The Waystation is open during daylight hours.

The Waystation began in 2014 as we learned about the dangerous decline in monarch butterfly populations. For initial support, Rev. Martha Brunell, pastor of Mayfield Church at the time, wrote a successful grant application to the Abbey of the Arts, Earth Monastery Project, an online monastic community. Abbey of the Arts “believe[s] that small, thoughtful, and carefully stewarded programs can make a big impact on the world.”

Since that first grant, many volunteers have contributed time, sweat equity, and funds to create and maintain the Waystation.

Peggy Doty, Energy and Environmental Stewardship Educator with the University of Illinois Extension and a member of Mayfield, explains the environmental value of the project for DeKalb County in particular. “Waystations for butterflies and other pollinators are critical oases in a highly agricultural landscape. A waystation makes perfect use of remnant land and buffer spaces.”

Gardener Diana Swanson comments that “In our little spot on this Earth we can do something real to support one of the miracles of the Creation — a butterfly that travels thousands of miles and depends on Midwest milkweed to survive.”

PHOTO UPDATES FROM THE MONARCH WAYSTATION (Started in 2014)

De-Thistling with Diana

De-Thistling with Diana from Randy Caspersen on Vimeo.