Grant Application Cycle Open through February 15, 2022: Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas program

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Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas!

Monarch on yellow flower
Monarch butterfly on Solidago altissima (Tall Goldenrod)

2022 Grant Application Cycle is Open

It’s that time again: colorful leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and a fresh new Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas (BBMT) garden grant cycle! The review committee will be accepting grant applications from now until February 15th, 2022. By early March, grant recipients should receive their checks of up to $400 to help install or upgrade a Monarch Butterfly/pollinator demonstration garden that creates usable habitat and features Texas native plants in an appealing way.

How to Apply

“We’re expecting a very active grant cycle this year, with interest and inquiries already running high, so don’t wait to get started filling out your application. Remember, it is a competitive process, so allow enough time to craft a strong application.”  Carol Clark, Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Chairperson

About the BBMT Program

The Native Plant Society of Texas “Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas” program educates members and the public about Monarch conservation, encourages propagation and distribution of milkweeds that support reproduction by Monarch butterflies, and restores Monarch habitats throughout the Texas migration flyway. BBMT garden grants are for the purpose of creating or enhancing Monarch habitat that showcases Texas native plants in spaces the public can visit to see and learn.

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About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason