DuPage Monarch Project: Communities Protecting Pollinators

06/18/2026

It might look like a classic sunflower, but this is Heliopsis helianthoides—the False Sunflower! 🌻

Unlike annual sunflowers, this hardy native perennial blooms continuously from mid-summer to fall, providing a reliable, long-lasting food source for bees, butterflies, and beetles. If you’re looking to build a pollinator paradise that comes back year after year, this is your sign to plant some!

Location: Villa Park, IL
Photo: Jeremy Farrar

06/17/2026

Ever look at the bare ground under a tree and think, we can do better?

Enter the "soft landing." Leaving a intentional layer of native plants, fallen leaves, and natural mulch under your trees creates a safe haven for local wildlife. It’s where fireflies lay their eggs, bumblebees overwinter, and beautiful moths complete their life cycles. Plus, it mimics a natural forest floor, keeping your tree’s roots cool and hydrated.

Ditch the grass and let’s give our backyard buddies a soft place to land!

Location: Churchill Woods
Photo: Jeremy Farrar

06/14/2026

It looks like a perfect match, but there’s a catch. When this Green metallic sweat bee (Augochloropsis metallica) visits this Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), it’s often an ecological 'fast food' situation—convenient, but lacking the deep nutritional and nesting benefits that co-evolved native plants provide. Beautiful to look at, but a reminder of why biodiversity matters.

Location: Lombard, IL
Photo: Jeremy Farrar

06/11/2026

Come hang out with us for an evening all about monarch butterflies and native bumblebees! We’ll chat about how they survive, why our local community needs them, and super easy ways you can help them thrive right in your own backyard.

Weather permitting, we’ll head outside for a guided tour of the library’s native plant gardens to see these pollinators in action!

When: June 18 | 7 PM

Where: Warrenville Public Library

Register here: https://www.warrenville.com/event/16403919

06/11/2026

Few things capture the magic of summer like watching fireflies light up the backyard.

Two weeks from today, our partners at the River Prairie Group are hosting an event in Glen Ellyn to discuss how we can protect and conserve these iconic pollinators. Don't miss it!

Register here: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001hRyOfIAK

06/10/2026

Glen Ellyn – A Monarch Champion Town

Who does not like to see butterflies in their yard? Especially orange and black monarch butterflies flying from flower to flower. We don’t see as many monarchs as we used to. There has been a noticeable decline in the population of the eastern monarch since a high number was recorded in the 1996-1997 overwintering count. The number of eastern monarchs is calculated by measuring the area monarchs occupy during their winter stay in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico....

Who does not like to see butterflies in their yard? Especially orange and black monarch butterflies flying from flower to flower. We don’t see as many monarchs as we used to. There has been a noti…

06/09/2026

Known for their vibrant yellow and blue spotting against velvety black wings, these butterflies are frequent visitors to open fields and suburban backyards alike. If you want to host them, keep an eye on your parsley, dill, and fennel. Those striking, striped caterpillars eating their fill are just the next generation of Swallowtails getting ready to fly!

Location: Addison, IL
Photo: Jeremy Farrar

06/08/2026

A wave of white blooms is popping up, and they have an exciting night-shift strategy. Pale and white flowers act like nature’s neon signs, reflecting the moonlight to guide nocturnal pollinators right to the feast!

Location: Keith A. Olson Prairie
Photo: Jeremy Farrar

06/06/2026

I went out to check on my dill today and officially hit the pollinator jackpot: a caterpillar!

There is honestly nothing quite like the thrill of planting something, hoping a butterfly stops by, and finally seeing an egg or in this case larvae! It means the garden is providing a home and that's exactly what we want.

Have you spotted any caterpillars in your herb garden yet this season?

06/06/2026

Connecting with nature starts with curiosity! For World Environment Day, we wanted to highlight how a little bit of signage can make a big difference in how we see the world around us.

Check out this Monarch Butterfly display! By showing the journey from egg to caterpillar to butterfly, it reminds all of us how much hard work goes into being a pollinator. Teaching our community about these cycles helps us all appreciate the busy bees (and butterflies!) keeping our neighborhoods green.

Location: Lufkin Park
Photo: Jeremy Farrar