About the Project

TWU student volunteers working in a garden — The first monarch caterpillar in the TWU Butterfly Garden (Photo: Perla Herrera)

TWU has approved a native plant butterfly garden project for the Denton campus that will attract and sustain monarchs and many other butterflies, bees, and birds. The garden project will proceed in two phases: Phase I on the grounds of the Ann Stuart Science Complex, and Phase II, west of the Texas Pond, which will be a large “showcase garden." The project will give our students many opportunities to “learn by doing” and to serve the University by creating a beautiful landmark on campus. The butterfly garden is being supported financially by a generous grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (grant number: 83677401), funding from the university, and private donations.

See the Artist Renderings page for 3D drawings and visualization.

Bumblebee on Mealy Blue Sage

Cloudless Sulphur

Common Checkered Skipper

Monarch on Milkweed

Gulf Fritillary on Lantana

Fall Aster

Gulf Fritillary on Sage

Milkweed

Monarch on Milkweed

Painted ladies on Mealy Blue Sage

Painted Lady on Lantana

Painted Lady on Milkweed

Turk's Cap

Caterpillar on Lantana

Pollinators on Frogfruit

Pollinator on Lantana

Project News

EPA Awards Nearly $75,000 to TWU for Sustainability Education Project

5/24/18

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $557,000 in funding for eight student teams as part of Phase II of the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grant program. This includes $74,932 to a team at Texas Woman’s University in Denton for their work to develop sustainable pollinator gardens for habitat, water conservation, and education.

“These students are applying what they have learned in the classroom to create innovative solutions to environmental challenges,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “These awards support the next generation of scientists and engineers in their commitment to environmental protection, while helping states, tribes, and local communities find solutions to their environmental issues.”

University dedicates butterfly garden for Bettye Myers

The “butterfly effect” was in full bloom Thursday (Aug. 18), as the Texas Woman’s University campus, Board of Regents, Denton city and county officials and other community members gathered to dedicate TWU’s new butterfly garden in honor of Professor Emerita Bettye Myers.