I purchased a vacant lot through the City’s Cut It Keep It Program and will transform the space into a Monarch Butterfly Waystation. The lot is located on 26th St between Wilson & Dumesnil where there are 9 abandoned homes and 7 vacant lots. This garden will counter blight, bring neighbors together, provide respite for Monarchs, and increase the number of pollinators which maintain our food supply.
The Monarch Butterfly population is dwindling due to widespread use of pesticides and destruction of milkweed and nectar sources the butterflies depend on for sustenance. The lot will be lined with Monarch specific plants and wildflowers native to Kentucky to ensure safe migration of the Monarch across the continent.Urban farming is becoming prominent in west Louisville, increasing the amount of pollinators will help the Parkland Community Garden’s harvest at 28th & Dumesnil, the USDA high tunnel greenhouse installations, and the numerous residents who grow food, plants, and flowers in the West End. The garden futhers the mission of organizations like LouisvilleGrows which support the revitalization of west Louisville through agriculture. Game tables and benches will sit at the front of the lot inviting neighbors to butterfly watch, play chess, cards, read, learn about Kentucky foliage or just chill. Volunteers will be invited to participate in the planting and upkeep year round. A study by the University of Pennsylvania concluded access to greener spaces on vacant lots reduced feelings of depression by 40% and feelings of worthlessness by 50% in participants. The study encourages cities to adopt “low-cost but high-impact design interventions like lot greening in blighted neighborhoods”. This idea can be emulated throughout west Louisville to lessen the number of unkempt lots and give west Louisville an attraction centered around the Monarch Butterfly. Giving other Louisvillians a reason to cross 9th Street is vital to solving the prevalent race problem in our city.