Monarch butterflies aren’t a common sight in this part of the Pacific Northwest — but some dedicated community members are hoping to change that by making Portland an attractive pit stop on the butterflies’ migration route.

More than 960 people are members of the Portland Monarchs Facebook group, where they share educational information about monarch butterflies and report local sightings. The group is currently building two new monarch butterfly habitats at Pittock Mansion and Washington Park in the hopes of boosting declining populations + raising awareness about the species.

Their efforts are part of a statewide project spearheaded by the Western Monarch Advocates and the Deschutes Land Trust, which is relying on smaller regional groups like Portland Monarchs to maintain newly built sanctuaries.

Portland Monarchs broke ground on the Pittock Mansion habitat last month, clearing brush from a spot near the public overlook. A $2,000 grant from the US Forest Service will help pay for native plants like milkweed — a monarch butterfly’s favorite nectar source — to create “waystations” that will hopefully entice the butterflies to stay + lay their eggs.

Volunteers work on the Wings Over Washington Park Monarch Habitat, March 10, 2022. | Photo by Ida Galash

Western monarch butterflies typically start their summer migration in mid-February, traveling north from their overwintering grounds along the California coast. Portland Monarchs founder Ida Galash told KGW she has spotted monarchs in the metro area by mid-June in past years.

You can follow the group’s progress, lend a helping hand, report a monarch butterfly sighting, and learn how to plant your own butterfly garden by joining the Portland Monarchs Facebook group or visiting the Save the Western Monarchs website. Learn more about tagging butterflies + registering your home as an official Monarch Waystation by clicking here. If you want to plant some milkweed, you can find a free seed box located in the 3400 block of NE 24th Ave. between Garden Fever and The Madeleine School.