Waystation Restoration

The Monarch Waystation is one of the many highlights of our grounds. The 5,000+ square foot area of land was established February 28, 2015 and registered with the organization Monarch Watch. Viewable toward the lake from the dining room, it is a dynamic display of color and diversity as the seasons come and go. Different flowers bloom during different parts of the growing season, so the goal is that there will always be something interesting for guests and beneficial for pollinators and other wildlife.

Over the past few years, it became clear that the Monarch Waystation needed a little bit of love. There were woody plants growing throughout the space, and the diversity of pollinator plants was decreasing. To remedy this situation, in early Spring, I had a vendor come in to help remove those plants. This needed to be done before the growing season so that we would have more success seeding the land with wildflower seeds. These seeds also needed to be put down in the early spring so they could germinate properly.

Thanks to donations from the 2026 Mount Olivet Gala, we were able to source a variety of seeds from Prairie Restoration. I chose the Savanna Forbs mix as this is what naturally would be in the landscape here. There are around 70 species of wildflowers with some of the highlights being purple prairie clover, black-eyed susan, white prairie clover, leadplant, goldenrod, aster, blue vervain, golden alexander, and a few varieties of milkweed.

Wildflowers take time to establish, so year one is expected to be a root growing year. The plants will start to produce more showy flowers in years two and three (though the goldenrod is already stunning). While working within this timescale, patience is required to see results. With time and more seedings over the next couple of years, we will really transform this space. If you have any questions or would like more information on the Waystation or any of our environmental efforts, please reach out in whatever way is best for you.

Andrew Ruona is Groundskeeper & Facilities Operations Support at Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center