Students from Fox Valley Technical College’s Horticulture Technician program custom-built three butterfly houses for residence around the college’s Appleton campus as part of an international initiative to attract, and some cases restore, the habitat of the monarch butterfly.

The Bring Back the Monarchs campaign began in early 2016 as a North American effort to reintroduce the butterflies to regions with favorable conditions concerning their well-being. Degradation of forests that supports overwintering of monarchs in Mexico, catastrophic winter storms, and habitat losses have reduced the number of monarch butterflies. The campaign is being led by Monarch Watch, and educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas.

FVTC’s butterfly houses are located near entrances 1 and 10, as well as by its main greenhouse behind the Service Motor Company Agriculture Center.