The Monarch Recovery Project in New York City

A Collaborative Approach to Monarch Butterfly Conservation 

By Robyn Elman

When you drive along the highways, parkways and roads of Queens in NYC in the  summer, you’re bound to pass large sections of beautiful flowering milkweed, among the  flat mowed grasses. These areas are roped off and maintained by the Monarch Recovery  Project, NYC in coordination with NYC Parks and NYC DOT.  Sounds like a no-brainer: less work for city workers, and more habitat for monarchs and other pollinators,  along with eye candy for drivers and pedestrians… right? 

Well we all know that change, especially related to conservation, isn’t that simple. Building a successful  partnership with DOT and Parks took five years of persistent outreach. The learning curve included  accidental mowing of protected sites and missed schedules.  However, this early friction ultimately forged a highly effective collaborative framework. 

Our Proven Management Model 

You can replicate this roadside conservation strategy in your own region by following this operational  blueprint: 

• Site Mapping & Assessment: Create a detailed PDF guide for your local transportation  department. Include exact GPS coordinates, map screenshots, and real-life photos of highway  habitats where milkweed thrives. 

• Line-of-Sight Evaluation: Include clear descriptions for each spot, explicitly noting if there are  traffic line-of-sight issues or if the area is safe for rope-and-sign installations. 

• Habitat Protection: For safe areas, establish clear boundaries by roping off dense milkweed using  posts and bright orange rope or caution tape.

• Signage: Post educational and protective signage with messages such as Pollinator Habitat, Do  Not Mow or Spray, and Monarch Waystation. 

• Pedestrian Maintenance: For habitats near sidewalks, actively weed and clear path edges to  maintain a tidy, accessible route. Complement this with educational signage to engage the  community. 

The areas that we have been able to protect are full of life. At any given time, you can see Monarch  Butterflies laying eggs and feeding, Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, Huron Skippers, Leafcutter Bees, Native  Bumblebees, Milkweed Beetles, American Goldfinches, and SO MANY MORE native species. 

During the summer, we give adult and family presentations & workshops, at local Audubon chapters,  camps, and libraries so communities can fall in love with monarchs and learn ways to get involved in their  protections.

This year, the Monarch Recovery Project is going a step further and are working with NYC Parks to not  only protect habitats but restore them with native pollinator plants. We receive them from the Parks  Department nursery and install.

Recently our work was featured in The New York Times and the International Journal of Science Nature. 

Robyn Elman is the Executive Director of the Monarch Recovery Project NYC. She holds a degree in biology and is  a former zookeeper with the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. She is involved with many citizen science and volunteer initiatives, including Monarch Conservation projects across NYC and Long Island.

Left: A newly emerged monarch butterfly is released, saved from an area slated for mowing.  Middle: A roped off milkweed patch with designated signage, preserved from mowing. Right: A rescued monarch caterpillar munches milkweed.                                      Photo credits: Robyn Elman