A San Rafael gardener known as "Butterfly Bob" has transformed his plot at the Terra Linda Community Garden into a habitat for endangered Monarch butterflies, the city announced Monday, Aug. 24.
Bob, identified only by his nickname in the city's post, has filled his plot at 370 Nova Albion Way with three elements that support the Monarch life cycle: a purple Buddleia (commonly called a Butterfly Bush) that draws pollinators with its nectar, a patch of milkweed where Monarch caterpillars feed and grow, and a low trellis where developing butterflies form jade-green chrysalises.
The setup functions as a Monarch Waystation, a designation from the nonprofit Monarch Watch for habitats that provide food, shelter and breeding resources Monarchs need during their annual migration. Some 57,969 such waystations have been registered worldwide as of Aug. 11. It is unclear from the city's post whether Bob's plot has been formally registered with Monarch Watch.
The timing matters.
Late August marks the start of the western Monarch fall migration, when butterflies begin moving south toward overwintering sites along the California coast. That western population is in steep decline. Fewer than 12,260 butterflies were counted during the 2025-26 overwintering season, the third-lowest tally since monitoring began in 1997 and a drop of more than 95% since the 1980s, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
"Western monarchs are in serious trouble. The migration is collapsing," Emma Pelton, a senior conservation biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, said in January when the annual count results were released.
Milkweed is the only plant Monarch caterpillars can eat, and it has disappeared from much of the West due to development and herbicide use, KQED reported. Monarch Watch recommends waystations include at least 10 milkweed plants of two or more species, plus nectar plants that bloom through the growing season. For California, several native Asclepias species are recommended.
The city's post encourages San Rafael residents to plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly flowers in their own yards.
How to get involved
The Terra Linda Community Garden is a city-run facility at 370 Nova Albion Way, next to the Miller Creek School District administration offices. Annual plot rates for San Rafael residents are $166 for a full plot (roughly 15-by-30 feet) and $75 for a half plot (15-by-15 feet). More information on Monarch Waystations is available at monarchwatch.org/waystations.
To join the garden wait list, contact the Falkirk Cultural Center at (415) 485-3328 or email [email protected].
