Through the Eyes of Butterflies:
Through the Eyes of Butterflies:
Creating a Monarch Butterfly Way Station
Creating a Monarch Butterfly Way Station
Credit: 1 graduate credit hour
Issued by: Ashland University
Format: Hybrid (asynchronous modules with one in-person meeting)
Address for in-person meeting: 8351 Morris Road Albany, Ohio 45710
Date(s): TBA
Instructor: Cory Frederick, MEd
Essential Question:
How can designing and creating a Monarch butterfly way station help your students understand the importance of pollinator conservation and foster stewardship of local ecosystems?
Overview:
Monarch butterflies are not just beautiful creatures—they are a vital part of North America's ecosystems. Creating a Monarch Butterfly Way Station is an interdisciplinary, hands-on course that will teach you how to support these iconic pollinators by designing and building your own Monarch butterfly way station with your students. Through this course, you’ll dive into the ecological importance of Monarchs, the challenges they face due to habitat loss, and the critical role way stations play in their conservation. This hybrid course blends online, self-paced learning with one in-person session at the Monarch Park Butterfly Way Station in Albany, Ohio, where you’ll gain practical, real-world experience in designing a sustainable habitat. You’ll also leave with tools to bring this knowledge into your classroom, engaging students in experiential learning and helping them become active stewards of the environment. The course is aligned with Ohio’s Social Studies and Science Standards, giving you the knowledge to teach your students about ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental advocacy—while creating a hands-on learning experience with real-world impact.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Explain the ecological significance of Monarch butterflies and the impact of habitat loss on their populations.
Describe the role of Monarch butterfly way stations in supporting pollinators and restoring habitats.
Design and build a Monarch butterfly way station, including plant selection, site placement, and habitat maintenance.
Develop lesson plans to use Monarch way stations as living classrooms for teaching ecological and environmental principles.
Demonstrate how to monitor, maintain, and expand way stations for long-term success.
Related courses:
Participants can choose to complete one or more of the three courses available in Through the Eyes of Butterflies. Click the LEARN MORE button below to request information about our program.