Waystation Created On North Fork To Help Monarch Butterflies During Migration

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NORTH FORK— The Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue has been dedicated as a Monarch Waystation, officials said.

As part of a long-term partnership with the Town of Southold, Group for the East End has been hosting public programs and leading restoration projects at the Downs Farm Preserve, a 51-acre nature preserve in Cutchogue, since 2014.

In 2022, the Group, town, and volunteers installed a native plant meadow to support pollinators and other wildlife, officials said.

Recognizing the importance of critical habitats for native insects, the site has now been designated as a Monarch Waystation by MonarchWatch.org, a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of monarch butterflies.

A dedication ceremony took place at the preserve in October.

"Monarch butterflies, along with many other insects, rely on native plants for survival," Group Director of Outreach Taralynn Reynolds said. "Waystations, like the one to be dedicated at Downs Farm Preserve, utilize host plants, like native milkweeds, to support the lifecycles of these charismatic insects.”

Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to central Mexico for the winter.

"However, this miraculous journey is difficult due to habitat loss from overdevelopment and climate change, pesticides, invasive species, and light pollution, all of which have had a profound impact on monarch butterfly populations," organizers of the effort said. "Monarch Waystations provide the critical habitat and food sources needed to help sustain the butterflies’ long journey."

The installation of the native plant meadow and Monarch Waystation would not have been possible without the support of the Town of Southold and he many volunteers who helped to install more than 600 native plants, the Group said.

"This is important today to recognize the efforts in both land preservation and land stewardship,” Southold Town Supervisor Albert J. Krupski said. "Thank you to Taralynn and Group for the East End for their supportive efforts.This makes their educational outreach effective in continuing our communities’ support for habitat preservation and protection.”"

Volunteers are integral to the Group’s conservation efforts, they said. The organization regularly engages volunteers in various habitat restoration projects including invasive species removal, plantings, plant and seed swaps, and more.

"We need more public spaces that can create these habitats," Reynolds says. "It’s critical for wildlife, and also serves as an opportunity to educate and inspire the public about how they can replicate these efforts at home."

Learn more about volunteer opportunities and events here.