Adopt a Butterfly Garden

Become a Guardian for the Island Marble Butterfly

📍San Juan Island

Go beyond a single day of volunteering.

Forge a deeper, lasting connection with our islands by nurturing a habitat patch on San Juan Preservation Trust protected lands that will help a rare species recover—one plant, one patch, one season at a time.

You’ll be assigned a specific patch on San Juan Island at a beautiful SJPT preserve, like Sundstrom Farm or Phelps Preserve.

San Juan Preservation Trust Habitat Helpers Island Marble Butterfly Adopt a butterfly garden graphic logo

A Deeper Commitment for a Greater Impact.

For years, our community has shown up to plant, weed, and care for these precious lands. Now, we have a special opportunity for those who feel called to do more.

The Island Marble Butterfly (IMB) is a delicate species found only here on San Juan Island. It is conservation-dependent, meaning its survival rests squarely in our hands. To help it recover, we are manually mimicking the prairie restoration cycles historically practiced by our Coast Salish neighbors, using hand-weeding and seeding to create the disturbance these habitats need to thrive.

Just as it takes a long time for a species to disappear, it takes a long time for one to recover. That’s why we created the Habitat Helper program—and we’re thrilled to report that this methodology is working. IMBs have already occupied two of the three habitat patches we’ve created.

This isn’t just about gardening; it’s about stewardship in its truest form. We rely heavily on our volunteers, and we need your hands to help maintain this crucial habitat.

Meet the People Protecting Our Pollinators

A Conversation with Kimberly Albert, a Volunteer Habitat Helper and Kathleen Foley Lewis, Director of Special Projects at the Preservation Trust.

“Being a part of this garden has really helped me be more observant… If you’re a person who loves the islands and wants to do their part to help preserve some really important habitat for a very, very special species, this project is for you.”

—Kimberly Albert, Habitat Helper

“You really are a part of a much bigger picture than just taking care of one little patch. You’re part of creating this whole network of safe places for the Island Marble Butterfly to recover.”

—Kathleen Foley Lewis, Director of Special Projects

Your Commitment:

A Two-Year Partnership

Because we invest a lot in training our Habitat Helpers to work independently and understand the seasonal cycles, we ask for a two-year commitment. This allows you to see the full life cycle of your garden and your impact on it. We encourage volunteers to visit their patch at a minimum of once a month. These visits can be done on your own time, offering the flexibility to fit into your personal schedule.

The workload is seasonal: spring is busy with new growth, summer is quieter, and fall brings a burst of seeding and planting activity before the winter dormancy.

Your Garden:

Adopting a Suitable Habitat Patch

Think of it as adopting your very own butterfly garden! We call them ‘Suitable Habitat Patches’ (a fancy name, we know). You’ll be assigned a specific patch on San Juan Island at a beautiful SJPT preserve, like Sundstrom Farm or Phelps Preserve. Your duties will include:

  • Tending to plants beneficial for the IMB and other pollinators.
  • Removing invasive species by hand.
  • Monitoring for butterfly activity during flight season.
  • Communicating your observations with SJPT staff.

Your Reward:

A Tangible Legacy

This is a deeply instructive opportunity to learn about the islands’ native flora and fauna. By watching your garden transition through the seasons, you will get to know your patch deeply and see the amazing change your work creates. The real reward is knowing you have a direct hand in recovering a critically endangered species, leaving a lasting, positive mark on our islands’ ecosystem.

Ready to Join us?

This project is for you if you love to work independently, be outdoors, and get your hands dirty. While the work is on San Juan Island, we welcome and encourage anyone from our neighboring islands to participate in this special recovery effort. Please reach out to Liz if you have any questions at lizd@sjpt.org

How to Get Started:

  1. Express Your Interest: Fill out the form below. This is the first step in joining a small team that is making a very big difference.
  2. Attend a Training: Once you’ve committed, we will reach out with details for our required training sessions, which are held each fall and spring.