Oklahoma City Zoo Offers New Living Classroom Grant For Schools in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's schools have an opportunity this spring to build their own monarch garden thanks to the Oklahoma City Zoo's newest partnership with the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative (Okies for Monarchs) and the National Wildlife Federation.

Oklahoma City Zoo partners with others to introduce monarch-saving grant program.

Through the grant, teachers will have access to resources from the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Mission Curriculum and $1,500 to be used to create a flourishing garden that will hopefully attract and support more monarchs this spring. 

The grant will give teachers development opportunities to build a garden that is a minimum of 100 square feet of area specifically dedicated to the monarch garden. They will need to plant and maintain native milkweed and nectar plants and other requirements. Most importantly, teachers must be able to commit to taking care of the garden and using it as an outdoor classroom for three years.

It may seem drastic to ask for such a committment from teachers, but when you realize the kind of impact Oklahoma has on the monarch population, you might see why they're taking the plan so seriously.

Oklahoma plays a major role in monarch migrations and populations.

According to OKC Zoo Conservation Scientist Dr. Emily Geest, Oklahoma plays a major role in the migratory patterns for monarch butterflies. "Oklahoma sits in the middle of the migratory pathway, so habitat here is critical for monarchs’ survival," she said. 

Right now, monarch butterflies need all the help they need when it comes to surviving and getting numbers back up. Geest spoke about the effects that the prog ram may have on the populations, saying:

"Over the last 30 years, we’ve seen a precipitous decline in monarch butterfly populations—more than 90 percent.There are many contributing factors, but the main reason is habitat loss across their breeding and migratory grounds. 

With the OKC Living Classroom Grants, schools can receive assistance and training to create their own monarch gardens, which provides this critical habitat for monarchs to be able to lay eggs and nectar plants to provide a food source on their migratory path.”

Deadline for Living Classroom Grant is April 18, 2025.

@okczoo Fall means its time for the butterflies! We’re so excited to be tagging monarchs for our 32nd year and if you’re at the Zoo then you can help us too! #monarchs #butterflies #monarchmigration #okczoo #conservation #oklahoma ♬ vibey birds of a feather - Sunset Party

If this sounds like something you or someone you know may be interested in, apply for the grant before Friday, April 18, 2025. To find out more information about the grant and other requirements, click here.