Phoenix Convention Center plants garden to support monarch butterflies

PHOENIX — Those attending big events at the Phoenix Convention Center will soon share the space with butterflies as well as fellow attendees.

Earlier this month, city leaders created a new wildlife sanctuary for monarch butterflies in the Phoenix Convention Center at the corner of Washington and Third streets on Nov. 6, according to a news release from the city of Phoenix.

Also known as a pollinator garden, this habitat will serve as a valuable place for western monarch butterflies to rest and replenish as they migrate to Mexico for the fall.

Why is there a new monarch butterfly habitat in Phoenix?

Environmental threats such as habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use endanger monarch butterflies.

That’s why Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego took the Mayor’s Monarch pledge in 2021.

Through this initiative, over 600 mayors as well as heads of local and tribal government come together to find new ways to save the monarch butterfly.

Populations have fallen in the past 20 years, which is why interventions like this are critical, according to the National Wildlife Federation, which launched the pledge project.

“We are thrilled to welcome a new pollinator garden to our downtown as part of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge,” Gallego said in the release. “Not only will the monarchs cherish and enjoy this space – visitors and residents will, too.”

The monarch butterfly habitat offers milkweed and native nectar plants the insects can use for food, energy and shelter.

It helps environment, leader of Phoenix Convention Center says

Other pollinators will also benefit from the new habitat, officials said.

In fact, it’s a valuable way to support Phoenix’s natural environment, according to Jerry Harper, the director of the Phoenix Convention Center.

“This effort not only brings even more beauty to our campus, but it also allows us to contribute to our ecosystem,” Harper said.

His center teamed up with the Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs and Downtown Phoenix Inc. for this sustainability project.

“The Phoenix Convention Center and venues are committed to sustainability,” Harper said. “This is yet another way we are enhancing our environmental stewardship and fostering a vibrant community.”

A second pollinator garden at the center is on the way. It will be installed in late November at the North Building’s second patio, which is near its main entrance.