Unitarian Society of Germantown Monarch Waystation

A brief story of our work

We are currently partnering with the Unitarian Society of Germantown (USG) to install multiple pollinator habitats at the church, our fourth Monarch Defenders project in NW Philly. We started our work in May 2026, planting an educational native pollinator garden at the parking lot entrance, which can be accessed from W Johnson St. This monarch waystation is small but mighty, packed tight with a variety of native flowers, including butterfly weed, common milkweed, blazing star, anise hyssop, wild bergamot, and orange coneflower. We are planning on installing informational signage for neighbors and church goers about the importance of pollinators and native plants adjacent to our planting. The plot is having great results as we have spotted monarchs here laying eggs on the milkweed plants just weeks after planting!

In addition, we are currently in the process of installing a larger meadow planting at the church adjacent to the train track. We are converting a strip of land previously dominated by invasive mugwort into a native pollinator oasis. Our team did our first mugwort removal in June and seeded with a mix of native meadow wildflowers and grasses. While eradicating mugwort—an incredibly aggressive invasive species—is a long process, we are excited to continue our work rebuilding the local ecosystem and creating a community nature oasis in the years to come.