Since the mid-1990s, monarch butterfly populations have been steadily declining due to pesticides, land development and climate change.
As the butterfly and bee populations continue to decline, food security is also at risk because of our dependence on the food stability these pollinators provide. These concerns have motivated the Rotary Club of Kansas City International (KCI Rotary) and the Platte County Parks Department to team up for a service project, and take action to create a one-acre butterfly pollinator garden at Michael Gunn Park at Platte Meadows.
The first work session took place April 28, and involved spraying the entire garden, which is more than an acre, to kill all of the existing vegetation. Volunteers were warned that while the spray was not toxic, it might cause skin and eye irritation. They were also encouraged to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, eye protection and gloves.
The date for the spraying was chosen as a day on which fewer people would visit the park, and also a convenient time for Parks Department staff to be on site with Rotary member volunteers. Platte County Commissioner and KCI Rotary Club member, Joe Vanover helped with the spraying.
“When I was growing up, it seemed like monarchs were almost as common as mosquitoes and house flies,” Vanover said. “But now it is rare to see one stop at the 4-foot by 10-foot butterfly garden in my backyard in rural Platte County. A butterfly garden that covers a full acre will be a 1,000 times larger than a single homeowner’s butterfly garden. I hope cities and counties that have plenty of park land will consider setting aside some for projects like this. The Kansas City area is in the middle of the Monarch migration path from Mexico to Canada. We are in the perfect place to make a difference.”
Two separate grants have been given by the Rotary Club for this project, as well as a grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Substantial funding was also given by the Platte County Parks and Recreation Department.
Vanover first heard about the KCI Rotary Club’s interest in creating a butterfly garden two years ago, when he was then a member of the Platte City Rotary Club. He made a point to visit the other club to meet the people behind this idea. “Throughout our planning for the future of the Michael Gunn Park at Platte Meadows, we have included an area for the KCI Rotary Club’s butterfly garden,” Vanover said. “To qualify for the Rotary grants we are required to invest sweat equity from our membership,” Vanover said.
The project will require a number of work sessions before the garden is fully developed. Later this year the grass will be sprayed again to prepare the soil for the specially-selected seed mix. And this fall, the Rotary Club will spread the seeds. By next spring, the first plants and flowers will sprout.
“In 2026 and 2027, the Rotary Club will tend to the garden to make sure the selected plants and flowers are able to put down roots and thrive,” Vanover said. “We anticipate the butterfly garden will take three years to become fully established and self-sustaining.”
To ensure that the public understands why the grass is dying this year, and why so many little seedlings begin to sprout next year, the Platte County Parks Department plans to place a banner on the trail to keep the public informed about this ongoing project.
“Civic groups, city councils, and individuals have great ideas to improve the parks of Platte County,” Vanover said. “Each year we award approximately $250,000 in outreach grants to help these ideas become reality. The county government wants to support great projects like the KCI Rotary’s butterfly garden, like the little community garden in Timber Park, and like the farmer’s market in Parkville. This butterfly garden is a perfect example of matching the resources of the county government with the idea and the drive of a service club to make our community better.”