Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary

08/24/2026

We are Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary Isham Alley Garden: The Power of One Park Children's New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Jane Goodall City Parks Foundation Good Shepherd School Partnerships for Parks
The native common milkweed that we are famous for Asclepias syriaca it's about to give us that wonderful in the seed pods

08/21/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/-OqytMgenz4?is=6SIok5q4foEoSqtw

08/12/2026

Last weekend the wonderful and beloved Sunflowers were removed from Seaman Avenue as a result of complaints that the sunflowers were a nuisance and created a security issue for people walking by. Apparently there were two "muggings" on that corner of Seaman and Isham because the sunflowers shielded the mugger from their victims. We had never heard of such a thing, but we were in no position to argue anyone claiming to own that property or allow a potentially hazardous liability to exist. In place we will plant flowers that are not so towering or intimidating to passers by. Most importantly is our priority to keep the peace with the community and our landlord Church of the Good Shepherd for the preservation of the Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary. However sometimes unforeseen circumstances that are beyond your control can provide and create new opportunities, which we quickly took advantage of in bringing the cut flowers, that were destined to be thrown away, across the street to the activist anti-ice rally, to hand out among the protesters giving purpose to what was left of the flowers, a new life consistent with the primary humanitarian reason of planting the sunflowers for peace Sunflowers for Peace project from the projects beginning - in response to the Russia/Ukraine war in solidarity with all victims of all wars anywhere in a nonpartisan symbol of recognition of their suffering. Good Shepherd School School in the Square Spectrum News NY1 New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Jane Goodall City Parks Foundation Misty Young Photography Inwood NYC: Our hidden gem in Manhattan Partnerships for Parks Keith De Cesare NYC Mayor's Office Guerrilla Gardening Garden Life Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't

08/10/2026

If you'd like to see some heartwarming video of the beauty and power of butterflies to bring joy to our lives. https://youtube.com/

Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary Keith De Cesare Sunflowers for Peace NYC Mayor's Office Spectrum News NY1 Partnerships for Parks New York City Department of Parks & Recreation City Parks Foundation New York Restoration Project

We started a community garden as a wholesome outdoor learning experience for kids. We taught the importance of stewardship. They planted seeds and flowers. Soon all the kids in the neighborhood wanted to participate and many did. A small initiative quickly and unexpectedly grew to be so much more by...

08/10/2026

Welcome to the Good Shepherd Convent Butterfly Sanctuary, a deeply rooted community amenity that serves as a pristine, welcoming "Sanctuary within a Sanctuary". Links in comments.

(Note: This video features a NotebookLM prepared narrative that blends actual footage from Good Shepherd School, School in the Square, and the Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary, alongside AI-integrated visuals featuring students actively gardening, "Mr. Keith," and the towering "Sunflowers for Peace" project).

In this video, we explore the inspiring intersection of K-5 STEM education, grassroots environmental stewardship, and Franciscan community care. Through the "Science and Nature" program, students from Dos Amigos Elementary and School in the Square participate in hands-on "living nature learning". By raising endangered Eastern monarch butterflies from eggs to adults, these children experience the "miracle of metamorphosis" and become active environmental stewards. They also engage in planting native milkweed to sustain the migratory monarch butterflies and build certified pollinator waystations in environmental justice areas.

At the operational and spiritual heart of this sanctuary is Keith De Cesare ("Mr. Keith"). Guided by a lifelong spiritual vocation stemming from his childhood formation at the 3rd Order Hall Saint Bonaventure monastery and the inspiration of Father Solanus Casey, Mr. Keith views this work as the stewardship of a vital community amenity rooted in the Franciscan virtues of caring for God's Creation. Drawing on his extensive professional background in residential, commercial HVAC, electrical, and NYCHA-level property management, he provides 24/7 boots-on-the-ground facility management—handling everything from roof drains and foundation sealing to pest management and contractor oversight—guaranteeing the long-term feasibility of the sanctuary.

Whether it is coordinating the towering "Sunflowers for Peace" display, integrating the iGentix AI curriculum on tablets for student citizen science and habitat mapping, or ensuring the convent grounds remain a safe haven, this initiative proves that by caring for God’s Creation, we grow a sustainable, intergenerational ecosystem together.

🦋 Join the Movement!
Discover why this grassroots community effort has been recognized as a 2024 Anthem Award Winner for Community Engagement, featured in the PBS documentary "Dynamic Planet", and honored as NY1's "New Yorker of the Week".

Learn more and get involved: www.savemonarchbutterflies.org

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We Grow Life! is a unique community driven project with enormous implications for us all, especially our children.

08/10/2026

The transcript provided describes the creation and purpose of the Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary. The initiative serves as a critical conservation effort to support endangered monarch butterflies by providing their exclusive host plant, milkweed (0:04-0:10).

*Excerpted from a film by youth apprentices. Creative Art Works

Key highlights include:
Habitat Loss: The project addresses the widespread elimination of milkweed due to pesticides, agriculture, and land development (0:10-0:18).
Autonomous Rearing: To increase caterpillar survival rates from a natural 2% to a significantly higher number, the sanctuary uses protective oranza bags to shield them from threats (0:30-0:46).
Indicator Species: Monarchs are identified as an "indicator species," serving as a biological signal for environmental imbalances, particularly those linked to climate change and rising temperatures (1:11-1:28).
Community Impact: Beyond conservation, the sanctuary acts as a space for community involvement, fostering empathy in children and adults by connecting them to nature and collective environmental responsibility (1:28-1:58).

From a film by youth apprentices.

Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary School in the Square Good Shepherd School Jane Goodall Sunflowers for Peace Misty Young Photography Keith De Cesare NYC Mayor's Office Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC Inwood NYC: Our hidden gem in Manhattan

Creative Art Workswww.savemonarchbutterflies.org www.wingswithout...

08/10/2026

Milkweed that is infested with aphids gets covered with sticky honeydew. That sweet sap attracts many other insects. Some come to eat the aphids. Others come to lick up the sweet tar residue left by aphids. Unfortunately the process often leads to the demise of the plant and hostile environment for monarch butterflies eggs or larva caterpillars that depend on the milkweed. But in general, that's also fairly normal depending on the the kind of aphids, many are native. The orange Oleander aphids are not native and very invasive and harmful. They should be cut off and destroyed ASAP. No amount of ladybugs can keep up. They'll eat the monarchs eggs and small larva as well.

Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary Jane Goodall Sunflowers for Peace Keith De Cesare School in the Square Good Shepherd School Misty Young Photography

08/08/2026

This is a Monarch butterfly egg. 99% Will not survive without our help.
Find them on underside of milkweed leaves only. Place in Tupperware. Bring to Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary

04/26/2026

This evening at the 💚🌱🌷🙏🏻