New Port Richey celebrating its role in protecting Monarch butterflies

Off of busy Grand Boulevard in New Port Richey, there is a tranquil spot built for butterflies.

“If you had the film running you’d see butterflies flying all over this place,” said Dell deChant, who is chair of New Port Richey’s Environmental Committee.

Volunteers like deChant look after the pesticide-free Grand Garden.

It’s one of two community gardens in New Port Richey and part of a national movement to help restore the population of monarch butterflies to keep them from extinction.

“All insects right now are faced with a crisis. Monarchs are just the celebrity species. All insects are faced with a crisis right now because of human beings and our intrusion into the environment,” said deChant.

New Port Richey is one of a handful of places in Florida designated as a Monarch City because of its dedication to the cause.

The city encourages residential gardens to grow food and wildflowers, including the butterflies' favorite, milkweed.

Sierra Club member Sasha Bartunek says having a butterfly garden can help people relax and improve their overall mental health.

“It represents metamorphosis that we all experience in our life where we can transform from caterpillars into butterflies,” she said.

Saturday there is a festival to celebrate the Monarchs at New Port Richey’s downtown library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. But in the garden, the winged insects are always honored. People here say the place is good for the soul, the planet, and the butterflies.